Ch 4 - Confrontation Continued

Ronja continued to head back and back.

As the quality of strength went down, so did the looks. Even so, Ronja hoped to pick up someone from the batch in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough.

And soon, she came across just that.

A Beastman with long black hair, tangled in a mess behind their head. His head was bowed, almost definitely shy, not daring to look directly at any of the candidates.

A deep and rugged scar ran from his left ear to his back, ruining some of his shy aesthetics. His face, while somewhat plain, was gentle.

He had just the right facial structure to not stand out but was also very malleable.

As for his low rating, after reading his attributes, Ronja knew why.

-

Thane

Candidate Rated Number: 313

Beastform: Black Horse Beast

Qualities: Strength, Large Size, Exceptional Endurance, Timidity, Cleverness, Attachment

Weaknesses: Lacking Male Y-chromosomes, low chance of birthing men.

Hidden Bloodline: Perseus Mount

Special State: Evolution Cusp.

-

He was a candidate with low strength, and considering the testing done on the selection candidates was a duel, it was possible that with his innate herbivorous nature, he was unable to achieve anything higher.

However, the thing that caught her eye was the fact that he had lacking Y-chromosomes. A possible gene mutation?

The majority of the other candidates lacked in X-chromosomes. Meaning that men were more likely to be born... but for someone to birth only women? Would it be unheard of?

Ronja walked up to him, "What is your name?"

Thane looked up in a panic, looking back down as his face flushed redder than a baboon's butt.

"Thane."

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Yes ma'am..."

Ronja gently reached out her hand and pulled him over, like leading the reins on a stallion. He was exceptionally obedient.

Thane was also taller than she initially thought, hunkering behind her like a giant as she walked around in search of two more Beastmen to take home.

The next candidate that she found was avoided like the plague by the Beastwomen around. Some of them even purposefully taking detours.

The man sat lazily, a sneer hanging on his lips as he looked around him.

-

Adam

Candidate Rated Number: 456

Beastform: Reticulated Albino Python Beast

Qualities: Exceptional Strength, Exceptional Agility, Disdain

Weaknesses: Lacking Female X-chromosomes, low chance of birthing girls. Somewhat higher fertility.

Hidden Bloodline: Titanoboa Jormungandur, Self-Consuming Dragon

Special State: Evolutionary Cusp. Sickly.

-

His hidden bloodline left a lasting impression on Ronja. Jormungandur was a legend in norse mythology, the most colossal snake!

Ronja observed even further, his eyes were yellow, and tended to slit over as he saw people avoid him. He was lanky and pale, not matching the robust and tanned types around him. He gave an impression of a sickly beauty.

Most Beastwomen disliked snakes and reptiles, often wanting to find someone larger and warmer to hold onto.

Even if they were cold-blooded themselves, they liked to have a few more warm bodies at home.

Why take home another ice block who can't keep them warm at night?

Ronja's sentiments were different. Who cared if it was a snake or a bear? She didn't know them anyway and would have to give birth. But when she thought of having a snake to accompany her, it didn't seem so bad.

Indeed, some snakes on the internet back home had even gone viral for their cuteness.

He noticed her gaze, and their eyes locked.

How ferocious!

He didn't seem to welcome people around him as the others did, almost rejecting company.

But Ronja didn't back down. She came over in pensive steps, stopping right in from of the pedestal he occupied.

She reached her hand out, "Would you like to come with me, Mr... ?" "Adam." He snatched her hand as if he were a cat catching fish in a bowl. His pupils dilated into a deep black.

He let out an eerie smile and gathered behind her with Thane and the girls.

"Look at who she's picking now!"

A familiar voice interrupted her peace and quiet, and Anna finally spoke up after chattering quietly with Cat behind, "It's Lady Sarai again."

Ronja rolled her eyes.

Cat whispered in her ear, grasping her arm once more, "She's with Cyrus, Miss!"

Ronja turned around slowly, finding Sarai behind her with another trio of goons to follow.

A man with cat ears on his head and a tail trailing behind him, flicking from left to right in amusement looked them over.

"A snake and a horse... Can't you find anything like me? I'm warmer, and stronger than both Ronja."

Ronja's eyes narrowed in irritation, "Since when has it been your business who I choose? You haven't been around since the testing result came out last month."

"So what?" Cyrus walked closer to her in glee, "I can tell you miss me Ronja." He licked his lips, his sticky gaze gliding over her, "Maybe if you cry and beg me, I can follow you home as your Primary Husband."

At this, Cyrus glided his hand over her shoulder to the front of her neck, startling Ronja before she swatted his hand away in frustration.

Cyrus watched her reaction intently, suddenly fuming as another pair of arms scooped her backward.

Scooped up and set at a safe distance by Thane, Ronja gave Cyrus a slow up and down, stopping at his crotch.

"...Who wants your used goods? Discarded items belong at the dump, but some people still like to take things from someone else's trash as if it were a treasure." She pointedly looked at Sarai, who seemed to steam in place.

"Take care of your candidates so that they don't wander, Lady Sarai." Anna chipped in, cutting into Sarai's ego a bit more harshly.

Sarai: "You're the last matron in the selection, what right do you have to tell me, the 60th place, that I am unable to take someone in fairly. Looking at what you've chosen, it's likely that you're picking up other people's strays."

Ronja: "You say that 'it's likely' I am, but I know 'for sure' that you are."

Sarai: "So what? I have that right. I'm still forty places above you."

Ronja: "But we both know who is more beautiful still."

Sarai: "I have better genes!"

Ronja: "Ugly."

Sarai: "At least I'm not unreasonable!"

Ronja: "Ugly."

Sarai: "I'll give birth to more female cubs!"

Ronja, Anna, Catalina: "Ugly female cubs."

After a few more rounds of back and forth, Sarai finally gathered up her posse to run off, leaving behind a You'll See! like some sort of cartoon character intent on revenge.

Ronja ignored them and continued walking back toward the end of the line.

The quality of the candidates got worse and worse, until finally, it seemed that no one else would fill her last spot. The candidates were so severe, that there were even a few with incomplete beastforms, unable to fully transform into a beast or human.

Looking at the 700th, and the last candidate, Ronja nearly lost hope.

-

Ma Teo

Candidate Rated Number: 700

Beastform: Incomplete Sparrow

Qualities: Weak, helpless

Weaknesses: Lacking male Y-chromosomes, low chance of birthing men. Low fertility.

Hidden Bloodline: Golden Sun-Pulling Crow

Special State: Mute.

-

Looking at his state, Ronja took a small pity on him.

He was in the last place, just like her. She kind of wanted to take him home.

In place of ears, feathers grew out of his head like two adornments on either side. Feathers even grew out of his unkempt hair, adding a fantasy flair to it. He had a delicate face with round cheeks, not sick, but almost always looking as if he was on the verge of crying.

She walked over and lifted his chin up to face her with her hands, pushing his cheeks from one side to another as if inspecting.

Feathers came from his forearms as if to become wings at any given moment in time.

Claws shot from his fingers in place of regular nails.

Ronja looked at his face and knew she wouldn't be able to leave him behind.

"Do you want to come home with me?"

Tears dripped from his eyes as he pointed at his throat. She momentarily forgot about his muteness.

Plop, plop, did the tears drop. He seemed afraid of her.

Ronja stepped back, but he then grabbed her hand back in desperation. It might have been that he was afraid of being left behind.

"... It's okay, just nod if you want to come."

Ma Teo's head swung profusely up and down, he stumbled up onto his feet and stepped behind her in a daze, keeping his head down and presence low. She didn't ask his name, and he didn't mention it. She knew anyway, and could wait for an introduction later on... She could now register her candidates and head over to her territory.