Chapter 17: Companionship

Suddenly the others also slowly woke up hearing the explosion, they also became wild.

They were having trouble controlling their senses, they were even showing animal tendencies. Dux, Cedric, and Hnung tried their best to control the others who were rampaging, but the trickiest of them all was Lenta.

She was bursting with energy, and as the others returned to their senses, they helped in stopping Lenta's rampage.

As the last result, they knocked her out.

"Wow, the camp is in a total mess.."

Celer was looking around their home. Everything was a mess, but most of all they had trouble controlling their prowess.

"We have to rebuild everything…Well it's alright, we also needed some renovation."

Callidus was very pumped up, he was brimming with energy. He wanted to start working immediately.

"Aww right now?"

"Yes right now, come on now Celer, Fortis, Dux we need to repair our camp! We have to at least build a proper home for Lenta since she is carrying the future of our tribe!"

Celer groaned but started to help Lenta's well-being. Dux rested Lenta beside Cedric, using Cedric as a pillow. Fortis helped in lifting heavy objects.

"Everyone, can Hnung help?"

"Sure we need another muscle over here"

Hnung smiled and helped the others. Though it took quite longer since they had trouble controlling their strengths.

Hnung and Dux went to the forest to cut wood. Dux was the one cutting the wood, while Hnung was the one carrying them, they needed more wood since Callidus was planning on creating a small improvement to their past hut.

"Dux, can I ask?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

Dux who was cutting the tree glanced at Hnung who had a guilty expression on his face.

"You could have told them the truth…Instead, you lied, why?"

"Well, it's in the past, hearing your story I understood that your tribe also encountered such difficulties. I put myself in your shoes, and it's better to not tell them so it wouldn't cause any problems. Besides, I treat you as a friend of mine and family.."

"Now enough of this, let's go bring this lumber so we could speed the build. Night is coming as such we must hurry up."

Dux and Hnung were back at the camp, they put down the lumber and began to help build the new house.

Hnung was learning and observing how the others completed their work.

It was soon night, they built a bonfire. The house was bigger than their small hut, now it had huge space inside. Even though it took them 4 hours to finish each new house, they could only create two. Not only that they made the first house bigger, for Hnung to fit inside.

Currently, they were cooking meat and Hnung also added salt to the food per Dux's instruction.

As Lenta woke up, the first thing she felt was fluffiness. As she opened her eyes, she saw the others, Celer and Fortis cutting the meat into smaller parts. Whilst Callidus and the strange ogre were talking to each other, she glanced at her side to see Dux beside her, he was making a necklace from a wild boar's teeth.

"Hmmm? Your awake."

"Dux, what are you doing?"

"As you can see, I'm making a necklace…It's for you.."

"Oh, why am I outside? And what's this fluffiness?"

"Well, the transformation had side effects. You rampaged and all of us had trouble controlling you, and the answer to the fluffiness is the apostle.."

Lenta turned her head to see the wolf resting his head sleeping. She then glanced at their camp, their five huts were gone and instead two huge huts were present.

The bonfire was also strangely bigger than what she remembered. She tried to stand up, and the pain in her back was gone. She was alright standing up, not only that, she saw new features on everyone, their side ears were gone and replaced by wolf ears at the top, they also had tails, and they were also slightly bigger.

"What going on?"

"Well everyone had transformed, we made a pact with the apostle, and in return, we had some of its body parts.."

Dux stood up, the necklace was finished. He put the necklace on Lenta.

"What's the necklace for?"

"Well, Hnung told me that his brother gave a present to his mate, and so am I.."

"M-Mate?"

Lenta whose face was red was looking at the ground flushed red.

"Yes, Mate. You carrying my child and the future of our tribe. As such this gift is for you, I made it for you...what's wrong if you don't like it? Are you scared that you are pregnant and carrying my child? You don't have to worry the goddess is looking after us, she will guide us like she always has.."

"It's not that you Idiot!"

"Then what is it?"

"I-I'm not the one for you! I'm loud! I'm not like Celer who is calm at times, I love to fight and I hate you to my very bone even the goddess could step forward and say the same! I hate you a lot! You are annoying and always boss me around! I'm not that pretty, I mean look at my hair! I'm not that tidy, and I'm….quiet…chubby…."

Even though everyone in the camp could hear every word Lenta said, they all awkwardly pretended not to hear it and went about their business.

Lenta was flushing red.

"And? What about it? I love your lively attitude, I love how you would easily fluster and panic, and about fighting? I don't have a problem with it, and I'm sorry if I have been too bossy I just care for you too much and I just realized that."

"And what are you even saying? You are beautiful, and what about your hair? The goddess had created you with that cute and wavy hair, and what are you even implying that you're not tidy? I always know that you always look out for how you look, and being chubby? It makes you even cuter that way"

"I-I-I"

Cedric who was beside him all the time cried deep inside. His creations were even better at having a relationship than him.

'This is too much for my virgin eyes…'

"I love you, I understood that feeling inside my heart the moment I saw you again…Lenta I want us to raise our future children together.."

"Y-You! Shut up!!!"

Lenta who was embarrassed could feel the gazes of everyone, she was flushing red, and her heart was beating fast. She couldn't handle the embarrassment and ran to the hut swiftly.

Lenta who was inside sat beside the entrance of the hut, she sat down and covered her face in embarrassment.

"That dumbass,"

While dux was still at the same spot frozen.

Till Fortis came over to his side and handed him some food.

"You alright? You became a statue…here eat"

"She rejected me…."

"Ummm I don't think so, it seems like what you said was too much and she got embarrassed."

"Oh.."

Dux held the food and followed Fortis as they all sat beside the bonfire. Cedric was also given food, he was also slowly getting used to the body of a wolf.

"That was romantic Dux! I always thought you were a heartless jerk but you just needed someone to tickle that cold and evil heart of yours."

Celer with a teasing smile.

"Indeed you confessing your undying love was unexpected…Even I got shocked"

"See even Callidus was shocked, by the way you should have sawn everyone's reaction, like all of us had our mouths open hearing you profess such undying love."

Celer was making smooching sounds.

"I think it was romantic.."

Fortis who had a slight blush put down his head, unbeknownst to the others, after the display of undying love for Lenta. Fortis had developed a romantic lover trait.

"What the f-"

Callidus covered Celer's mouth with a wry smile.

"So you thought it was romantic, that's a rather interesting thought Fortis.."

Celer who was struggling, glanced at Callidus who was quietly saying: 'Don't ruin this, Fortis rarely gives an interest in something, this is good for him.'

Callidus let go of Celer's mouth.

"I didn't know Fortis is a romantic lover…"

This made Fortis blush even more, and Celer found it amusing, she was very amused that she found something to tease Fortis with. Seeing the amused expression on Celer's face, Callidus sighed, he knew what was going to happen to Fortis.

...

As they started to dig in, strangely they could taste something different with the meat.

"Do you like it? Me and Hnung added salt to our meat"

"Salt? Is this what this flavor is?"

"Yes, Hnung and his tribe make it"

"Wow this is yummy Hnung, the meat tastes even better now!"

Hnung smiled as they complimented the food and even Callidus asked about the process on how to make salt. Celer gave some food to Lenta who was too shy to come outside the hut. After dinner, all of them were very full.

"So I have been meaning to ask this question to you Dux.."

"What is it Callidus?"

"How did you make children with Lenta? I am extremely curious, since not only Lenta is carrying the future of our tribe, but this is also a new knowledge everyone In the tribe should learn for our future, so how did you do it??"

Callidus was brimming with energy, he was extremely curious.

"Well…umm"

"How did you do it?"

"Uhhhh…."

'Help me goddess what should I say?'

[Dux is asking how to tell the others how children are created, would you like to send a message?]

Cedric jolted upon hearing the notification.

'Don't send any message…'

Cedric glanced at the sweating face of Dux.

'I'm sorry but I can't also answer that question….'