Chapter 64: Small Talks Round A Little Feast

I was in a small meeting with the Village Head of the Ntuli Tribe. Laid before me was a wide round table assaulted with a variaty of exotic dishes I swear I hadn't seen before.

'Is that meat?' I thought keenly to myself, scrutinizing a particular eye catching dish that seemed grilled from across.

It most likely wasn't though.

Now that makes me wonder if there were even cows or any other animals I'm familiar with left?

Lyra once told there were mutants as a result of the Mana. I actually saw a couple of them from afar; gigantic monstrous cockroaches and mantis.

They were deeply terrifying and unsettling.

"I'm glad you decided to join us for this little feast." While I closely thought to myself, I heard the deep voice that reverberated with power which belong to the Tribe head.

Surrounding the table were also a couple of the Elders. I wasn't sure where the rest were and couldn't careless. I would just ignore them like before anyway.

Taunted by his casual comment, I raised my head and glanced at him meaningfully.

'You call this 'small'? ' I thought to myself, and said instead.

"Is that meat? As in, beef?" I pointed my fingert at that same particular dish.

The Village Head — who's name I still didn't know — moved his head at my gesture then stroke his brown beard as if in deep thought for a moment.

"Beef... that's true, I have heard of it before. Unfortunately, this is nothing that exotic." Eventually he said, shaking his head regrettably?

'Something that exotic? ' the choice of words had me thinking for a while.

I picked up one of the eating utensils, reminiscent of a typical fork, and said casually, neutrally.

"So beef no longer exists after all. "

It was funny, but it seemed like all cows and buffalo's were dead by this time.

How regrettable

Contrary to my conclusion however, The village Head shook his head.

Then he said, explaining.

"Not quite actually. The last of the surviving animals from the past were hoarded behind the new borders by the Humans of the walls, " he paused, his words hung deeply in the air, before he suddenly added meaningfully — "While our kind were left to starve and die."

I could feel the mood shift only slightly between the Elders that were present. But in the end, I showed no obvious interest, and casually picked up one of the various dish with the fork.

"Oh. Is that so?" I hummed indifferently, my mind filled with separate thoughts.

'So chances are I could still eat chicken. That's something to look forward to. ' silently, I mused and added a new item to my list of things to do next.

The morbid history between the Outsiders was dark and interesting, but I already got enough of that from Lyra and the Professor. So I didn't wish to linger too long on the topic.

The Head also had no reason to mention it, knowing of my background of having no connection with the current state of the world. But this was the manner he used to probe me for some kind of reaction.

'Sorry to disappoint, but I really have no intrest in your history. ' I pleaded in my heart.

I observed the noodle like dish wrapped around the prongs of my fork and asked.

"So if it's not beef then..."

Understanding where I was headed towards, the Village Head nodded and interjected midway.

"Yes. Elder God flesh.*

'I thought so. '

I nodded indiscernibly.

"That makes sense."

The village Head shot me a scrutinizing look. His eyes had a hint of playful amusement, but just a little.

"You don't fancy the flesh of those abominations?" He said.

I looked up at him, then squared an equal gaze to the rest of the Elders around. Up until now, each and everyone of them has been quiet. If this were before, I bet one or two would have already lashed out for me about my 'behaviour'.

'Now that I look, that snappy old man isn't even here too. ' I noticed silently.

"I don't think it's a matter of wether I fancy or not. I've had my own fair share of Elder Gods, I'll have you know." I said, but the Head didn't show that too deep of a surprise.

Either he was expecting such an answer, or this big man was really just more shrewd than I thought. Regardless, after a short pause, I continued and added.

"It's a little unfortunate. I was hoping to return back to some of my favorite delicasies of the past but, the world went ahead and fell."

"Yes, that truly is unfortunate, " The Head strike his heard and said solemnly. Then continued.

"Rest assured, civilization still strives regardless. Many things have been lost, but new ones have also been gain. I am not saying this in a manner that illustrates the Fall of the world was a good thing. I'm only trying to say, as humans, we have to survive regardless if the circumstances." His gaze deepened meaningfully.

I understood what he was talking about, but this was beating around the bush. Well...I guess I'll humor him for only a little.

I peered down at the finely grilled meat. It's surface shimmered with an alluring oily glow. I was deeply tempted to try it out now, so I'm that was why I decided to take a piece for myself.

"As humans, huh. I suppose you might be right." While I was in the Red world, surviving the very next minute was all that mattered.

"But put in trials like that, the one to survive in the end may not be human. " I added subtly and the Head smiled.

" Not many can casually eat this right? " I said, referring to the grilled piece of stake.

The Head nodded and stroke his beard once more.

"Indeed. The flesh of an Elder God is poisonous and dangerous to mundane humans. Only the Knight devils and our kind can survive."

'Mundane human, huh.' I mused silently.

Isn't that ironic?

In the first place, aren't humans mundane to begin with? I mean doesn't the adjectives 'regular humans' and 'mundane human' typically already describe a 'human'?

I think, anything else isn't necessarily talking about a human.

Take for example, the idea of Superhumans.

Does it make much sense describing them as 'humans' who are mundane and regular, with super powers, which are unbelievable and unique?

Those are two contrasting ideas.

The people who can eat the flesh of Elder Gods aren't 'humans' any longer.

People certainly don't seem to think I am.

I took a bite of the grilled meat. It was like an explosion of taste and tingling flavor. For someone like me who hasn't had something like this in over seventy years, anything with even the minimum amount of salt was a feast.

I found myself generally enjoying this, despite it being the flesh of Elder Gods which I hd mostly grown tired of eating.

While I silently relished the taste, the Ntuli Tribe Village head continued the conversation into another topic.

"You don't consider yourselves as mundane humans any longer?" While on the topic, I decided to take advantage of it.

As if the head expected me to take this direction, he smiled and cast his gaze down at the table.

... Or maybe he set up the right chance for me to ask that question.

'Isn't this old man too sly. ' I found it amusing: the Ntuli warriors I'd met up until now didn't give me the impression of being particularly cunning.

"You want to know about our kind." Surprisingly, he was the first to cut to the chase.

'Knowing is a strong word. ' did I care, not really.

Maybe I was a little interested.

The Outsiders were the only 'humans' who could use Mana without a Core transplant like the Knights. Not to mention, that strange second form of theirs.

I've at least confirmed this is something only the Outsiders are capable of. They survived the apocalypse and created a civilization out of nothing inside it.

All of this factors together contribute to why I was a bit interested in them.

But it wasn't to the extent that I truly cared. If anything, it was more like, since they knew about my origin — no, my background — which could be considered a prized information, it would only ve fair I knew a little something about them too.

This was one of the things I was willing to discuss with Professor Hathaway tge last time for. But unfortunately, the professor insisted I asked the myself.

This further went to confirm that the Ntuli Tribe's secret of survival and full extent if their capabilities isn't well known to the walls.

In other words: prizes information.

I squared a leveled glance at the Chief, controlling my facial muscles from revealing any particular expression. I couldn't show I was eager or particularly interested in knowing their secrets as it could provide them an edge to get something else in return from me.

This was probably unnecessary on my part, because I was sure the Head would disclose the secret of the Ntuli people and the Outsiders as a whole to me.

Why?

They want a favorable relationship with me after all.

'All a price to pay for being too badass. ' I lamented with a sigh inwardly.

I couldn't help it if I was too awesome.

The Village Head maintained his smile, stoke his bad and took a bite from the numerous dishes around the table.

The Elders surrounding the sides stared in pensive silence. I could feel their tension in the air.

'I was right. Must be a really big thing then? '

"It's not that. Quite the opposite, frankly," after a while, the Head said.

Then he smiled more broadly, more amicably. More calculatively.

" I believe this would be necessary for our future cooperation and relationship after all. Isn't that right? "

In order words, knowing this means becoming one of us.

'Tsk. This old man is more sinister than I thought. '

Was he hoping to bind me?

Bind who?

Bind me?

My lips curled.

"Of course. "

How bold.

"I have no intentions for causing friction with anyone. Unless I'm provided enough reasons, that is. You see, Village Chief, I'm a very selfish and vindictive person. I always like to bite back, and break free whenever I feel suffocated. Ultimately, I guess it's more like; I do whatever I want. " I continued to smile leisurely.

The Head held my gaze, his gaze deeping, and the edges of his lips loosing a part of their shine. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became stuffy, but not one of the Elders dared to intervene.

"That is fine. I'll remember that." The Head simply said and I nodded in response.

He reached out his hand for a goblet filled with what I assumed to be wine and pressed it to his lips. After a few sips, he hummed and slowly said.

"You want to know about us, huh..."

'No, not really. I already said it's just a whim. '

The next moment, he smiled broadly, displaying pearls of white teeth. The earlier calculative light in his eyes and oppressive atmosphere easily dissolved.

All of a sudden ge became cherry and free. The room was slightly lively.

"No problem. But it might take some time, how you won't mind? "

I shook my head slightly, and took another bite of the dish.

"Time's all I've got." I said simply.

"Ah, yes..." The Head showed an expression as if suddenly remembering something. He shot me a look and said.

"I forgot to inquire...your family... Did you find what you were looking for?" His voice and tone became somber and deeper towards the end.

I thrust my fork into the meat once more. A small, light smile made it to my lips as I stared wistfully.

Then I just responded in the same manner I did with Tyla.

"I wish I did, I wish I didn't."

***

A/N: apologies for the late release. No Internet access.

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