Chapter 13:Food

Zach's words left Ian stunned. The fact that Zach's race couldn't use magical energy yet still hadn't perished from the world shocked Ian deeply. Even more surprising, they weren't content with just surviving; they wanted to reclaim land on the main continent.

'It seems they are far stranger and more mysterious than I thought,' Ian mused, preparing his next question.

"So, in which part of the continent did your race once live?" Ian asked, his voice full of curiosity. This question made Zach hesitate and fall silent for a moment, his gaze evasive. This caused Ian to narrow his eyes, suspicious.

"Well," Zach began, speaking softly, "our race had such a high rate of growth and such a large population that we spread out everywhere. So, it's hard to pinpoint where our entire population lived, because we didn't really choose our places to settle. But one thing is for sure, these ruins were once one of the cities built by my race."

Ian was even more astonished than before. He had never imagined that another race had lived in these ruins, let alone a race so vast in number that they could spread across almost every part of the continent.

Zach continued, "And because the composition of magic in the air changed due to the war, monsters became more vicious and stronger. A race like ours, unable to use magic, could only wait for extinction. But… how could we simply wait for extinction and give up like other races! We fled the main continent to escape the war and the monsters, just to survive."

Zach's expression was hard to read as he stared into the crackling campfire. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, until a question crossed Ian's mind.

"If you've already survived and can live well, why do you want to return to the continent?" Ian asked, his face showing clear confusion. Zach's earlier statements seemed contradictory to their desire to return.

Zach sighed deeply before answering, "You're underestimating my race, Ian…" This response only confused Ian further. Had he said something offensive to Zach?

"We even fought and killed each other amongst ourselves, even when we were fleeing thousands of years ago," Zach continued bitterly. Ian's jaw dropped in shock. He didn't know how to respond.

"Even now," Zach went on, "we still fight over land and resources, even though we're one race. Yes, our countries are different, though. So don't think we want to go back to the continent because of history or anything sentimental. We just want the resources!"

After saying that, Zach took a deep breath, placing his hand on his head as if trying to shake off an invisible weight. Ian, now understanding a little more, could only offer a nervous smile. He felt sorry for Zach's race but still couldn't grasp why they were so divided.

'They seem even more complicated and foolish than I thought,' Ian thought to himself, 'they've even split their race into different countries?!'

As Ian got lost in his thoughts, Zach noticed the gaze of his companion, Lena. Zach seemed to understand her silent message and stood up, saying, "It looks like Lena needs some help. I'll go over there for a bit, alright?" Ian only responded with a small nod, still lost in thought.

'They just want to find a place for their race,' Ian thought, 'and based on the fact that they're divided into different countries, it means only one of those countries is employing them to search for a new place to live. But that doesn't rule out the possibility that other countries from their race also sent people to the continent for the same goal.'

Ian began to analyze more deeply. If their race truly was split into multiple nations, one possibility was that their country was cornered and losing the war, so they were looking for a place to flee. Or, their internal war had ended, and now they were cooperating to find resources. However, there was also the chance that one country had won and unified their race into a single nation, and now, out of greed, they wanted the resources of the continent.

'Whatever the case may be,' Ian thought further, 'I can't monitor their situation any longer due to a lack of information. Although they can't use magic, it seems they aren't too dangerous. But…' Ian glanced over at Zach and Lena, who were now skewering the rabbit meat with thin wooden sticks.

'The fact that their race is still able to survive, and even split into several nations without magic… maybe they're more dangerous than I thought,' Ian pondered cautiously.

Ian's musings were interrupted when the two returned, carrying skewered meat and some strange, brownish oval-shaped objects. Ian stared at the unfamiliar items in confusion.

"Is the meat ready? And what are those?" Ian asked, pointing to the oval-shaped objects.

Zach and Lena exchanged glances before responding, "The meat still needs to be roasted a little longer. And these are 'bread,' food made from plants," Lena calmly explained.

'That comes from plants?' Ian thought, puzzled.

"It's one of the staple foods of our race. Whenever we eat, bread is always there. We're not sure if beastkin can eat plants, but if you don't want to try it, you don't have to," Zach added.

"We also eat plants in the forest, don't worry. I'll try it!" Ian replied enthusiastically, eager to try something new.

They started roasting the meat over the campfire. The smell of cooking meat mingled with an unusual yet enticing aroma, making Ian's appetite grow stronger.

'Why does it smell so good? What is this smell? How do they make the meat smell like this?' Ian wondered to himself. After a while, the meat turned a golden brown, a sign that it had been perfectly cooked.

Ian lifted the meat from the fire and brought it to his mouth. Zach and Lena watched him nervously, full of anticipation as he brought the meat closer. As the meat neared his mouth, the unique aroma grew even stronger, making him hungrier. He opened his mouth to take a bite.

As soon as he tore a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, Ian's eyes widened. Only one thought filled his mind.

'Th-this...'