Free Web NovelChapter 29: Chapter 29: Nigairo
"Na! Gree Ka So na!"
(Gree Ka So is mine!)
"No! Chi gar! Gree Ka So na!"
(No, you wench! Gree Ka So is mine!)
"Na! Na! Gree Ka So na!!"
(Mine! MINE! GREE KA SO IS MINE!!)
In the newly established Magnari settlement, two female Magnaris stood in the center of the village square, hurling venomous words at one another. Their claws twitched impatiently, muscles tensed, and neither showed the slightest intention of backing down. The confrontation had already escalated beyond a mere argument; they stood only a breath away from tearing into one another.
Twelve years had passed since Roman had emotionally influenced Gre Ka Chu and tested the limits of her potential. Throughout those years, he carefully maintained a delicate balance in their relationship, pushing her away whenever she became overly attached, only to pull her back whenever she stood on the verge of breaking down. The cycle repeated itself time and time again, ensuring that her dependence never faded while preventing it from growing beyond his control.
Those twelve years had also witnessed the steady transformation of the Magnaris. Rather than overwhelming them with knowledge they could neither comprehend nor apply, Roman taught only what each situation demanded. When communication became insufficient, he introduced writing. As their numbers continued to grow, he established tribes. Internal disputes gave birth to the Elder Council, while the need for leadership eventually led to the formation of the Tribal Chief system. Every lesson was introduced precisely when it became necessary, allowing each concept to take root naturally instead of being forcefully imposed upon them.
By the unanimous will of the Magnaris, Roman was eventually appointed as the first Tribal Chief.
Which was precisely why he now found himself standing in the center of the village, watching two female Magnaris argue so fiercely that they were only moments away from clawing each other’s eyes out.
The source of the commotion...
Was none other than his generational brother, Gre Ka So.
While Roman had spent the past twelve years painstakingly laying one cornerstone after another in pursuit of a flourishing Magnari civilization, Gre Ka So had somehow devoted those very same years to becoming the tribe’s very own Casanova. If there was any phrase capable of describing his behavior, it was that he possessed an uncanny talent for capturing the hearts of every young maiden unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Knowing full well how possessive Magnari females could be, Gre Ka So had conducted each of his relationships with meticulous care, making certain none of them ever discovered the others’ existence.
For years, his little balancing act had worked flawlessly.
It was only exposed through sheer coincidence.
One afternoon, two young Magnari females happened to be discussing the qualities they admired most in a future mate. To their surprise, every trait they described pointed toward the very same Magnari.
Gre Ka So.
The moment they realized it, the carefully orchestrated scheme of the young male came crashing down.
"Sigh... this has never happened before, has it, Gre Na Yo?" one of the elders muttered as he watched the spectacle unfold.
Gre Na Cho slowly shook his head, his eyes fixed upon the chaotic scene before them. "Never."
His gaze eventually settled upon the culprit.
"What exactly have you done, you little brat?" he sighed. "Those girls are going to tear each other apart because of you. Go over there and settle this before someone gets hurt."
Gre Ka So stared at the elder in disbelief before awkwardly pointing at himself.
"Me?"
Receiving nothing but stern stares in return, he swallowed nervously.
"...Alright."
Taking a deep breath, he cautiously approached the two females, only to notice several other young Magnari females glaring at him with equally disapproving expressions. A cold sweat instantly formed across his forehead.
...Why are they looking at me like that?
Forcing an awkward smile, he raised both hands in surrender.
"Hey, Gre To Ra... Gre To Sa..." he began cautiously. "Aren’t you two close friends? Why are you fighting over something like this? We can all get along. I’m both of yours, aren’t I?"
Smack!
Before he could finish speaking, two powerful tails whipped across his face from opposite directions, leaving matching red marks on both cheeks.
"You stay out of this!!"
"Yeah! Stay out of it! This is between that shameless wench and me!"
Gre Ka So stood there frozen, both cheeks throbbing, while the surrounding Magnaris collectively looked at him with expressions that seemed to say...You deserved that.
"Now... what shall we do about this?"
The members of the Elder Council looked at one another in concern. One elder after another proposed a solution, yet every suggestion was quickly met with disagreement. Some believed Gre Ka So should simply choose one of the two females, while others argued that the females themselves should decide through combat. A few even suggested allowing him to remain with both.
Not a single proposal earned the unanimous support of the council.
After several rounds of fruitless debate, the elders finally let out weary sighs before collectively turning their attention toward a single Magnari.
Their Tribal Chief.
"Your wisdom surpasses all of ours, Lord Tribal Chief," one elder spoke respectfully. "Surely you possess a solution to this peculiar dilemma before the Elder Council."
Roman returned a quiet sigh.
He had expected the decision to find its way to him eventually.
Although the Magnaris had advanced far beyond what nature alone would’ve allowed under his guidance, they still lacked the foresight necessary to conceive an institution like marriage on their own. Their intelligence had grown, but not to the point where they could recognize social patterns before those patterns became problems.
’Now that the situation itself demands it... introducing Nigairo should no longer feel unnatural.’
His thoughts paused.
’..Although I suppose I should proceed carefully.’
A strange sensation lingered in the back of his mind.
It wasn’t danger.
Nor hostility.
Rather...
The faint feeling of being observed.
Roman calmly swept his gaze across the village before lowering it once more.
’Considering my surroundings... the only one capable of watching me without revealing himself would be Volcano.’
His divine consciousness has probably descended upon the village.
Without betraying a single emotion, Roman slowly approached the center of the gathering.
"That’s enough."
His calm voice instantly silenced the square.
He shifted his gaze toward the two females.
"Stop arguing."
"One at a time."
"Tell me exactly how Gre Ka So wronged each of you."
The two female Magnaris shot one another one final hostile glare before lowering their heads. Out of respect for Gre Ka Go, neither dared continue shouting over the other.
One stepped forward first.
She explained how Gre Ka So had approached her months ago, spoken gentle words, and promised that she would become his lifelong mating partner.
Before she had even finished...
The second female interrupted, insisting that he had made the very same promise to her.
One accusation followed another.
Each recounted the sweet words he had whispered, the time they had spent together, and the promises he had made beneath the cover of night.
The more Roman listened...
The paler Gre Ka So’s face became.
A thin sheen of sweat gradually formed across his forehead as every carefully hidden relationship he had cultivated over the years was mercilessly exposed before the entire tribe.
After every complaint had been heard and each witness had given their testimony, silence gradually settled over the village.
Roman remained motionless.
Only his tail continued to sway slowly from side to side.
Then...
Its movements grew heavier.
Each sweep carried noticeably greater force than the last, stirring dust across the ground and sending an involuntary chill racing down Gre Ka So’s spine.
"Ooh... Lord Tribal Chief is angry now."
"It’s over for Gre Ka So, I tell you."
"Shh... quiet. Let our Lord Tribal Chief think."
The surrounding Magnaris whispered among themselves, their eyes fixed upon Roman as they cautiously gauged his reaction.
After several long moments, the rhythmic swaying finally came to a halt.
Roman slowly exhaled.
The sharpness in his gaze softened ever so slightly, as though he had finally forced himself to calm down.
With a weary sigh, he looked across the gathered Magnaris.
To everyone’s surprise...
His expression wasn’t one of anger toward Gre Ka So.
It was disappointment.
In himself.
"It’s my fault."
His quiet words instantly silenced the whispers.
"I should have foreseen that something like this would eventually happen."
"No, Lord Tribal Chief!" one of the female elders hurriedly objected. "How could this possibly be your fault? We Magnaris have always been of one heart and one mind."
Her gentle reassurance lasted only a moment before her eyes snapped toward Gre Ka So, her expression hardening.
"It’s this brat who deserves the blame!" she declared sternly. "He deceived two females, toyed with their hearts, and brought disorder upon the tribe. Such disrespectful conduct deserves punishment!"
Several elders immediately nodded in agreement.
"Punishment!"
"He must be punished!"
"Otherwise others may follow his example!"
Meanwhile, Gre Ka So lowered his head without offering a single excuse, cold sweat dripping from his brow as he silently accepted the torrent of condemnation.
"Punishment?" Roman repeated softly before shaking his head. "I’m afraid punishment alone won’t be enough to resolve this."
He swept his gaze across the gathered Magnaris.
"Today, the conflict is Gre Ka So."
"Tomorrow, it will be another."
"Punishing one individual will not prevent the next dispute."
He paused, allowing his words to settle into the minds of the tribe.
"What we lack is not a punishment...but a system."
His eyes drifted toward the Elder Council.
"Just as the Elder Council was created to resolve disputes among our people..."
"Just as the position of Tribal Chief was established to guide the tribe..."
"Today, I propose another institution."
Roman slowly looked toward the two females before finally speaking the unfamiliar word.
"Nigairo." (Marriage) fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"A sacred union between two Magnaris."
