Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan

Ren splashed a handful of water from the new cistern over her face and ran her fingers through her frizzy red hair to tame the wild curls and smoothed down her emerald silk dress.

The dress clung tightly to her curves. It stopped daringly high on her mid-thigh, exposing a vast amount of smooth leg. Ren frowned as she pulled at it, maybe it was her mind, but did it get tighter and shorter?

Taking a deep breath, Ren stepped out of the scullery and walked to the outer courtyard to join the feast.

The scene was breathtaking. Giant bonfires roared toward the starry sky, casting a warm, flickering orange glow over the two hundred beastmen. The air was thick with the mouth-watering, savory aroma of rendered boar fat, roasted garlic, and spicy, buttery swamp crawlers.

The second Ren stepped into the firelight, the boisterous chatter began to quiet down.

Syris, seated at the head of an obsidian table, immediately stood up. He looked at her, his amethyst eyes glowing with great pride.

"This is my mate!" Syris’ deep, commanding voice echoed across the courtyard, demanding attention. He gestured gracefully toward Ren. "The incredibly talented female who used her magic to prepare this magnificent feast before you!"

Ren’s face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. She offered an awkward, bubbling laugh, waving her hands dismissively.

"It wasn’t magic, everyone!" Ren projected her voice, trying to sound as humble as possible. "It is just proper culinary technique! And I could not have done it without the help of my amazing sous-chefs!"

She stepped aside, gesturing to Bia and Las, who were standing just behind her. The two snake females immediately shrank back, blushing furiously and hiding their scaly faces behind Ren’s small frame, unused to being publicly praised.

The crowd of beastmen stared.

Ren could feel the intense, burning weight of their gazes. From the tables nearest the fire, several female beastmen were giving her hateful, envious glares. Ren could hear them muttering petty insults to each other.

"She is so tiny," a grey wolf sneered under her breath. "She has no fur. She isn’t all that beautiful. How did she attract the Snake King?"

Conversely, the male beastmen’s eyes raking over Ren with undisguised, raw lust. Her dress was very short, hugging her waist and breasts perfectly while putting her bare, soft thighs on full display. A chorus of low, appreciative growls and hungry gulps echoed through the males.

Ren swallowed hard, crossing her arms over her chest and feeling self-conscious under the predatory scrutiny.

Ding!

[System: Host, there is no reason to feel shy! You are currently exuding maximum pheromones! Look at the infinite number of prime, muscular male specimens gathered here! Perhaps it is time to expand the harem? Pick up a new, handsome husband!]

’No way!’ Ren shouted fiercely in her head. ’I have enough husband problems to deal with!’

"Come," Syris beckoned, holding out his hand.

Ren forced a polite smile and began making her way toward Syris’ table. She tried to keep her head down as she walked through the narrow path between the feasting guests, but she could feel the gazes tracking her every single step. She had never been surrounded by this many different types of beastmen before.

She stole a few quick glances. Some of the men were definitely gorgeous.

[System: As I stated, Host, the numbers are infinite! The Beast World is an all-you-can-eat buffet of masculine perfection!]

’I am perfectly fine with who I already have!’ Ren argued back.

That was when Ren saw them again.

Sitting at a table near the center of the courtyard were the fox and the fish. The breathtakingly beautiful, pink-haired female fox was sitting shamelessly sideways in the handsome, blue-haired fish beastman’s lap.

As Ren walked past, the fish beastman picked up a plump purple grape and brought it to the female’s lips. The pink fox locked her eyes onto Ren. While maintaining unbroken eye contact with her, the fox smirked. She opened her mouth and enveloped the beastman’s fingers along with the grape, sucking on his digits. She swirled her tongue around his knuckles, her gaze challenging Ren.

Ren was bewildered. She stumbled slightly, confused by the display. Why was this female putting on a show specifically for her? To make it even more awkward, the handsome fish beastman whose fingers were currently being sucked was glaring viciously at Ren, as if she were the one being a massive pervert!

Distracted by the bizarre couple, Ren didn’t look where she was going.

Oof.

Ren bumped hard into a wall of muscle. She gasped, losing her balance and falling backward.

Before she could hit the stone floor, a thick arm wrapped around her waist, catching her. Ren looked up into the face of a towering bear beastman.

"Well, well," the bear rumbled, his hot, meat-scented breath washing over her face as he pulled her flush against his chest. He looked down her dress with a sleazy, lustful grin. "What a clumsy, delicate little female. Will you thank me for catching you? It might take all night though."

Ren’s eyes flashed with immediate irritation. She opened her mouth, about to tell the giant brute to back the hell off.

But before she could say anything, the bear beastman suddenly went rigid.

His sleazy grin vanished. He let out a wet, gurgling gasp, thick white foam instantly bubbling from his lips. His eyes rolled back into his skull, and then he collapsed backward, hitting the floor dead.

Standing behind the fresh corpse was Syris.

The Snake King’s hand was coated in blood that he quickly wiped on the dead bear’s loincloth.

"Are you okay?" Syris asked calmly.

Ren stared at the corpse at her feet, her green eyes wide. "Um. Yes?"

Syris snapped his fingers. Four snake guards came out of nowhere, grabbed the dead bear by his ankles, and casually dragged the body out of the courtyard like he was nothing more than a piece of discarded trash.

Syris gently took Ren’s trembling hand and guided to his table.

Trying to shake off the casual murder she had just witnessed, Ren focused on the food. She loaded her wooden plate with her culinary triumphs. The food was perfection. The roasted boar skin was tasty and tender. The venison stew was a glossy, starchy masterpiece, the sweet mango-vanilla notes of the melon beautifully cutting through the savory meat.

"Syris, you have to try this," Ren mumbled around a mouthful of crispy lotus root.

She began feeding her husband, shoving different delicacies into his mouth, desperate for him to experience the diverse flavor profiles. Syris chewed dutifully, his eyes never leaving her flushed, excited face.

Ren picked up a sticky, savory cube of the honey-glazed pork. She offered it to him.

"No," Syris murmured, his deep voice dropping an octave. His amethyst eyes darkened with lust. "I want to taste that piece from your lips."

Ren’s face instantly burned hot. She glanced out at the crowd of feasting beastmen. "Syris, we are in public! Everyone is looking!"

"I am the King," Syris growled softly, leaning closer until his chest brushed her shoulder. "What they see does not concern me."

Ren hesitantly placed the sticky cube of pork gently between her lips.

Syris leaned in and captured her mouth. His lips slanted over hers, his tongue sweeping past her teeth to claim the sweet, garlicky pork. He kissed her deeply, exploring the hot, wet cavern of her mouth, tasting the spicy crawfish butter and honey lingering on her tongue.

A soft, embarrassing whimper escaped Ren’s throat as the kiss deepened.

Syris’s hand slid up her bare thigh, slipping effortlessly under the short hem of her dress. Ren was trapped in a haze of bliss, ready to melt into a puddle right then and there.

"Excuse us, Snake King."

Ren gasped, tearing her lips away from Syris and slapping her hands over her lap. Her chest heaved. Standing at the table was a small group of female beastmen looking at her with nervous reverence.

Syris let out an irritated growl at the interruption, his hand reluctantly retreating from beneath her dress.

Ren smoothed her hair, her face basically glowing red.

"We... we wanted to know how you prepared the meat," the wolf female asked shyly. Ren could hear another female whispering loudly in the back, "Pay attention! If we steal her secret, our males will never leave us!"

Ren couldn’t help but laugh softly. She didn’t view her cooking as a magical secret; she was a teacher at heart.

"Of course! I am happy to share," Ren smiled brightly, leaning forward. She happily launched into a detailed, enthusiastic lecture about the Maillard reaction, explaining the importance of rendering fat slowly to achieve the perfect crispy skin, and how balancing the sweet melon acid against the heavy venison broth prevented the palate from becoming exhausted.

The females listened with rapt attention, though they mostly had no idea what she was saying. Soon, even a few male beastmen wandered over, gathering around to listen to the tiny female explain the mysteries of flavor.

Syris sat back, crossing his arms. He listened to her speak, his chest swelling with pride. His mate truly was the most wonderful, intelligent creature in the entire world.

While Ren was speaking and answering their eager questions, her eyes kept darting back to the center table.

She couldn’t help it. The pink fox and the blue-haired fish beastman were putting on an unhinged display. They were kissing deeply, wetly, their hands roaming shamelessly over each other’s scantily clad bodies like newlyweds consumed by the honeymoon phase. They looked like they were about to tear off their clothes and have wild sex right there on the table.

She didn’t even know them, but for some reason, the sight deeply bothered her.

When Ren finally finished her lecture and the crowd of females dispersed back to their tables, she turned to her husband.

Ren pointed discreetly toward the couple. "Syris... who are they?"