Chosen Mate Of The Beastmen Empire

Nyx remembered this stuff was insanely expensive-just a small bowl of it could be traded for half a sheep.

The chieftain vaguely recalled that the Shaman used to have quite a few of these pots for storing medicine. Later, they even used them for cooking. But they had never been this big, and they hadn't brought all of them when they migrated.

Nyx ran her fingers over the clay pot. "This is what I meant by pottery. We can make our own, use them for ourselves, or

trade them at the market."

The moment she said that, silence fell over the area. The only sound was the quiet crackling of the fire.

"What do you mean?" The chieftain stared at her in disbelief, eyes wide. "W-wait, you made this yourself? You actually know how to make these pots?"

These smooth, lightweight, fire-resistant, and completely watertight pots were far better than the heavy stone containers they usually used. But they were way too expensive-most people couldn't afford them.

They had tried making them before, but no matter how hard they worked, they couldn't get them right. They also didn't have the time to keep experimenting, so they had given up.

"I didn't make them," Nyx said, shaking her head.

Before the chieftain could look too disappointed, she smiled slightly. "Zayne made all of these. Pottery is actually pretty simple. Zayne picked it up in no time, and you guys can learn too."

The chieftain's emotions swung wildly, his face going through a rapid series of expressions. Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, he cautiously asked Nyx, "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am. I can teach you anytime," Nyx said cheerfully. "How about after dinner?"

The tribe had settled down, and survival was no longer an immediate concern. She always kept her word.

The moment the crowd heard this, they erupted in excited cheers. Some people even suggested learning pottery first and eating later-hunger be damned, their enthusiasm couldn't be contained.

These weren't just ordinary pots. To them, they were like money trees, covered in meat and bone coins-just as valuable as salt.

The prey had already been caught, cleaned, and prepped for cooking. The meat was as good as in their mouths. But pottery was still a mystery.

They couldn't wait any longer-they wanted to learn right now.

"Eat first," Zayne said in a cold, firm voice, shutting down their proposal. He didn't care if other people skipped meals, but Nyx wasn't allowed to miss a single one.

He had only just managed to get some softness back on her bones. He wasn't about to let anyone mess that up.

Technically, Zayne was no longer the tribe's Shaman-Beau had taken over his role and responsibilities. But his authority was still absolute. With just a few words, everyone immediately backed down and fell silent.

More fires were lit. Zayne filled a clay pot with water and set it over the flames. He didn't let Nyx lift a finger. Instead, he cut the meat and washed the vegetables himself.

The others couldn't just stand around doing nothing, so they followed Nyx's instructions, chopping wood, tending the fire, and adding ingredients to the pot.

The variety of seasonings overwhelmed them. Some of the strong, pungent smells even made them scrunch up their faces They thought. Is this really gonna taste good? I-it's fine...

Watching all that good meat and fresh vegetables get drowned in who-knows- what was heartbreaking. But to avoid offending Nyx, no one dared to question her. They just hung their heads and suffered in silence. Even if Nyx fed them poison, they'd eat it gratefully.

Flames licked at the bottom of the clay pot, spreading their heat. The pot heated up much faster than stoneware. Soon, the broth inside began to bubble and boil, releasing an increasingly rich aroma.

Everyone froze, inhaling deeply without even thinking.

That sharp, eye-watering smell from earlier was gone, completely replaced by a fragrance unlike anything they had ever known.

Their stomachs started growling one after another. They had gone without a proper meal for a long time, but somehow, they had never felt this hungry before.noveldrama

The wolf pups, being less restrained, even started drooling.

Lila was drooling too, thinking, 'Yes. This is the smell!"

She rubbed her head against Nyx's leg, acting cute in hopes of getting extra meat.

"Go catch two wild chickens, and I'll make chicken for you." The meat soup still needed to simmer a bit longer to taste better. so Nyx sent Lila away when she saw how much she was craving it.

Gina and Beau went along with her. There was no way they'd let Lila hog all the food.

The others couldn't hold back either. They all grabbed sticks, skewered some meat, and started roasting it over the fire.

The rich aroma of the simmering meat soup filled the air, making them feel like they could eat raw meat if they had to. The simple roasted meat, seasoned only with salt, was something they'd had countless times and grown tired of, yet today, it tasted unusually good.

Zayne was grilling meat as well. He pulled out a small jar of honey from a bamboo basket. It came from a beehive he had raided a few days ago. There wasn't much of it, and he had saved it just for Nyx.

He dipped a brush into the honey and evenly spread a thin layer over the meat.

The fresh pork shoulder had been lightly marinated, grilled until its surface turned golden and crispy, and then brushed with honey for extra flavor.

When it was just right, he let it cool slightly before handing it to Nyx.

Nyx took a small bite. The sweetness of the honey blended with the rich, savory meat, and a burst of juicy fat coated her mouth.

As she chewed, she held out the skewer toward Zayne, praising him without hesitation. "You're getting really good at this!"

"That's because I had a great teacher," Zayne smiled, his eyes glinting as he grabbed her wrist and took a bite from the same spot she had just bitten.

Watching this unfold while catching a whiff of the grilled meat, the others suddenly found their own food much less appetizing.

They stared at Zayne in confusion, as if seeing a completely different person. They thought, 'Has the Shaman always been

like this?'

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99

Zayne remained completely at ease, unfazed by their stares. He and Nyx continued taking turns eating from the same piece. of meat, and soon enough, he started grilling another.

Before the second skewer was even ready, the three who had gone hunting came rushing back, chasing after one another. "Nyx! We're back!"

The wild chickens they had caught were still alive. The moment they loosened their grip, one of the chickens flapped its wings wildly and tried to escape, nearly knocking over the clay pot.

"Aaaaaahhh-!"

"Help!"

"Quick!"

Everyone dropped their skewers and scrambled to catch it.

After a chaotic struggle, the soup was miraculously unharmed.

They had been looking forward to that broth for so long-if it had been ruined, all their efforts would have been wasted. Furious, they turned to glare at the culprits.

"It's ready," Nyx exhaled in relief, checking the soup's color and consistency before giving her approval.

Just like that, their anger disappeared.

The rich, fragrant broth filled their mouths, silencing any complaints. For the moment, they forgot about everything else.

It was only after they had stuffed themselves that they finally had time to confront

the three troublemakers.

The meal had been complete chaos thanks to them-it was all their fault.

As punishment, they weren't allowed to keep the baked chicken for themselves.

They had to share it with everyone. That was the chieftain's ruling.

Lila was convinced he was just using his authority to get a bite of her baked chicken. But since everyone else agreed with the chieftain, and she had indeed caused trouble, she had no choice but to accept it in silence.

The three fluffy troublemakers sat together, each looking more dejected than the

last.

"This is your fault!"

"No, it's yours!"

They kept blaming each other, bickering non-stop like chatterboxes, neither

willing to admit their mistake.

Nyx glanced at them with an amused smirk.

Instantly, all three shrank back, looking guilty.

Nyx barely held back the urge to squeeze and smush them. Clearing her throat,

she said, "Alright, the baked chicken is ready."

Their sparkling eyes followed her gaze to the lumps of mud, their excitement turning into horror.

They thought, "Wait... are we supposed to eat that? We know we've messed up, but surely this punishment is too much!"

Lila and Gina tried to keep their cool, but Beau's four legs were already trembling.