In this continent, two races existed. Humans and Beastmen.
Humans formed kingdoms in the southern region, while Beastmen ruled the north.
These territories were divided by a forest known as the Forest of Death.
As a human, Fiora only knew Beastmen as dangerous creatures who ate humans alive, no different from wild animals. She even thought Beastmen couldn't speak.
But the things she had done with the leader of this tribe… were not that different from interactions between humans.
This cave, though lacking, was still livable for humans.
And the group of Beastmen standing before her now—their way of speaking, their facial expressions—were very similar to humans if she ignored their ears and tails.
"She's the culprit!"
A female Beastman with ashy-brown hair, round furry ears, and a thick, spotted tail pointed at Fiora with her long, dirty claws.
Fiora pointed at herself. "Me? What did I do?"
"Don't make that innocent face with your furless skin," the female beastman accused, saliva spraying everywhere as she spoke.
Fiora grew more confused, but she was used to settling disputes among her people back in her kingdom, so she kept a calm mind.
These beings weren't human, but thinking about what she did with the tribe leader before, they clearly weren't mindless beasts like she had always been taught.
"I was brought here along with the leader. He's fine now. I didn't do anything to him," Fiora stated clearly.
The Beastmen around her looked shocked.
Aside from the leader and the shaman, no one in this tribe could speak smoothly without splattering saliva. Such speech was considered the way higher people spoke.
"Shani, are you sure she's the one?" a deer-like beastman whispered to the accusing female.
Shani scowled. "Of course! She thinks she saved the leader, so she stole all the food stores in the leader's cave."
The beastmen nodded along.
And Fiora finally understood the issue. "I didn't steal anything. The thief was—"
"You were the thief!" Shani cut her off. "Humans are greedy creatures. Whenever humans appear, all they do is attack beastmen and take everything we own."
Fiora was stunned.
'Humans think Beastmen are mindless beasts who eat humans alive. But Beastmen think humans are greedy invaders? Has there always been a misunderstanding between humans and Beastmen?'
While Fiora was deep in thought, several Beastmen grabbed her.
"Take her to the tribe center!"
Their grip was incredibly strong. Fiora couldn't fight back at all.
They walked over the dry dirt path. Small pebbles dug painfully into Fiora's bare feet. She couldn't ask for footwear, beastmen didn't wear any.
On both sides, everything was shades of brown— cracked soil, dead grass, dried trees.
"Those supplies were supposed to be for the leader's funeral ceremony, but the leader is still alive."
"Exactly. That means those supplies should be ours."
"Unbelievable! This female human went and ate them instead!"
Fiora could hear the beastmen's conversation, but she could not do anything, not now.
They arrived before a tall, towering boulder. In front of it was an empty clay plate surrounded by torches stuck into the ground.
Fiora was forced to kneel before the torches. The Beastmen lined up behind her, led by Shani.
"Now admit what you've done and accept the Beast God's punishment!" Shani barked.
"I didn't steal anything. Do you really think this small body of mine could eat all those supplies?" Fiora turned to look at them.
"Of course! Humans are greedy creatures. They won't stop until everything is gone!" Shani retorted.
"Yes, I'm human. And humans do not eat raw meat. There is no way I ate all of that."
"Humans don't eat raw meat? Then… what meat do humans eat?" Several Beastmen looked confused.
"Humans eat cooked or roasted meat. And I had no way to cook anything."
A few Beastmen began to waver. "Maybe she really isn't the culprit."
"She's lying! Don't believe her!" Shani suddenly snapped.
"If not her, then who else would eat all the food stores? Remember, we're in a crisis. Being able to eat once every few days is already a blessing. But she ate everything!"
Her words ignited anger among the Beastmen.
They stared at Fiora as if they would devour her to replace the meat she had eaten.
"I'll break her neck. You can have the rest," Shani said casually.
A chill ran down Fiora's spine. This was only her second day outside Pelestria Kingdom—how could so much have already gone wrong?
'I don't want to watch my body get ripped apart and feel the pain anymore!'
"It wasn't me! It was the mother and child pair!" Fiora shouted, struggling to stand.
But Shani didn't care. She clawed Fiora's face, knocking her backward.
Blood streamed from Fiora's cheek, making her look frightening. But to beastmen, this sight was normal.
Shani smirked. "Did you think your furless face could seduce the leader, huh?"
Fiora frowned, confused by the sudden accusation.
"I will be the leader's bride. A sacrificial bride like you should just die," Shani whispered with a vicious grin.
"You…" Fiora's eyes widened. "You planned all this out of jealousy?!"
"Jealous?" Shani growled. "I would never be jealous of a human!"
She grabbed Fiora's red hair roughly. The bright color only fueled her irritation.
She lifted Fiora's head and—crack—twisted it violently until Fiora's neck snapped.
Fiora's body convulsed once before all movement stopped.
Shani looked satisfied. "Goodbye, lowly human."
"You may take whatever part of her you want."
She turned toward the Beastmen—just as the group split apart, revealing Valeo's furious face.
"What happened?!" Valeo's thunderous voice made every beastman bow in fear.
Shani collapsed in terror. "S-she… she stole the supplies. So… so I…"
"I didn't steal anything!"
Silence.
Every eye turned to the human whose face and neck were covered in blood.
The human who had just died—
was alive again.
...