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Riku raised an eyebrow. "Huh. This is... a lot more formal than I expected."
His eyes scanned the room, noticing the faint smiles on the elders' faces. What really caught his attention, though, was Fia's blushing face. It made him feel a little weird.
Sure, they'd acknowledged each other as kindred spirits, but that was about it—so what was with the bashful and slightly angry look on her face?
Honestly, Riku had expected the beastkin to give him a hard time, so he could start putting his methods to work.
"Hehe, Mr. Riku, there you are," the beastkin chief greeted warmly, walking over and grabbing Riku's arm like they were old friends. "Come, come, you're an honored guest of our tribe. Please take this seat."
"Welcome, Mr. Riku, we're honored," the other elders chimed in enthusiastically, all standing up and giving Riku the full VIP treatment.
The overly warm welcome only left Riku more confused.
Only when he'd been led to the main seat—right next to Hatsu Fia—did he really start to realize something was off. His brows furrowed.
Seats mattered—a lot. Only those of the highest status sat at the head. Guests never got that spot, especially not the right-hand seat.
Sure, he wasn't sure if beastkin followed the "left inferior, right superior" rule, but this still felt super weird.
"Come now, Mr. Riku, you must be starving after sparring with Fia for so long. We've specially prepared this feast just for you," the chief said with a grin.
"Much appreciated, Chief," Riku replied with a raised eyebrow and a smile. He didn't quite get what the beastkin were playing at, but there was no hostility—only goodwill. That much, his senses told him clearly.
They soon began the feast. Riku didn't worry at all about being poisoned and just started eating normally.
That kind of fearless confidence earned him serious respect from the beastkin. Power like his clearly didn't come without reason.
Throughout the meal, Riku kept stealing glances at Hatsu Fia, as if silently asking, "What the hell is going on?"
But Fia stayed silent, her little face growing even redder. She turned away from him and just focused on silently eating her food, looking too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, Riku's expression turned serious.
"I assume the Chief and the elders already know about my alliance with Fia. So, what's your decision?"
"Yes, we've reached a conclusion," the chief replied with a chuckle and a nod, clearly appreciating Riku's directness.
The other elders stayed silent, clearly leaving the talking to the chief.
"After our discussion, we—the beastkin tribe—are willing to become your loyal allies, Mr. Riku," the chief said seriously.
"Oh?" Riku narrowed his eyes at that. He wasn't surprised, nor particularly thrilled—just waiting to hear the rest.
"However," the chief continued with a smile, "we do have one condition."
Riku expected that. "What condition?" he asked calmly.
What he didn't notice, though, was that Hatsu Fia's face had now turned bright red. Her beast ears and fluffy tail twitched wildly, and her smooth, pale legs dangled off the side of the chair, nervously swinging back and forth.
"Our condition is simple. We all hope that Mr. Riku will marry Fia, and solidify the strongest possible alliance between us," the chief said, stroking his beard and grinning.
"Huh?!" Riku blinked, genuinely stunned. Even with all his composure, he was caught completely off guard, staring at the old fox-like chief in disbelief.
He had expected some kind of hidden trick, but this? They were trying to seal the deal with a political marriage—just straight-up offering their princess to him.
"..." Riku's lips twitched as he glanced at Fia, who couldn't even meet his eyes. Her whole face was burning red, ears drooping, and... was that smoke coming off her head?
He put a hand to his forehead. Okay, these beastkin really don't mess around. They're even pulling out the marriage card.
"Hehe, Mr. Riku, what do you think?" the chief asked again with a smile.
"I mean... I'm not against it," Riku said after a brief pause, rubbing his temple. "But I need to know—does Fia really want this?"
"I do. I'm serious about it," came the softest reply.
The chief and the elders all turned to look at Fia with knowing smiles, not saying a word.
Feeling all those eyes on her, Fia took a few deep breaths, calmed herself, then turned to Riku with her face still flushed. "I... I mean it," she said, barely louder than a whisper.
Honestly, the way she looked right then—blushing, flustered, and adorable with those little beast ears—it was seriously cute. Even Riku was caught staring at her for a few seconds.
"Well, in that case, let's do it," Riku said suddenly, smiling.
Not only did he secure a powerful beastkin alliance, he also scored a beast-eared loli waifu.
Honestly, this was a win-win. If he turned this down, he'd be no better than some brain-dead monk.
"....."