Chapter 67: The Living Conditions And Isabella’s Plan!
The first beastman’s hut was small and falling apart.
Neve stood in the entrance and looked around at what passed for a home. The straw roof had holes in it. Large ones. Ones that would let snow fall directly onto whoever was sleeping inside. The walls were barely held together, and Neve could not figure out what was actually holding the structure up. It seemed like one strong wind could collapse the entire thing.
If there was a storm, this hut would be gone.
If it were a rainy season instead of winter, the inside would be soaked. Living in this would be miserable.
Neve felt something shift inside his chest. Not quite anger. Not quite sadness. Something heavier and more complicated that felt like responsibility.
This was why the system had given him this mission.
Not for fun. Not to visit friends. But to actually see how people were living and fix it.
"You have no mate?" Neve asked the beastman gently.
The man scratched his head nervously. He was young, maybe only a few years older than Neve. The kind of person who had probably never had anyone advocate for him.
From behind them, Isabella finally spoke.
She had been silent the entire walk over, but now her voice came out sharp and disgusted.
"Of course, he has no mate. What kind of female would pick a low life beastman like him?"
Neve turned and glared at her.
His expression was not the soft, accommodating look people had gotten used to. It was cold and direc,t and it said something very different.
Isabella flinched.
She had never seen this version of Neve before. Everyone treated Neve like he was fragile. Like he was something that needed to be protected and handled carefully. They spoke to him softly and gave him space.
But Ryker had seen this version. Ryker had watched Neve order around a dragon king at the festival like it was nothing. He had seen this bold, commanding side come out.
Ryker smirked secretly as Isabella turned her face away, scared.
"Thank you for getting angry on my behalf, Neve," the beastman said quietly. "But it’s okay. It’s a bit comfortable for me."
"Well, it’s not comfortable for me," Neve said, turning away from the hut and Isabella both. "You deserve more than this. Everyone deserves more than this." He looked back at the young man. "Don’t worry. You can all look up to me to help you improve your living situation. I mean it."
He walked out before he could be washed with praise and thanks and gratitude that felt too heavy.
Outside, he exhaled deeply.
Ryker caught up with him. "Why are you doing this? You’re not even the chief."
Neve smirked slightly. "Is the job to look after people left to the chief alone? I can he,lp and I will help. And the chief is my brother-in-law anyway. He would want this too."
Ryker nodded like that made perfect sense.
"Let’s head to the next house," Neve said.
"Wait!" Isabella’s voice came from behind them.
She was waving a hand like she was calling them back. Her expression was carefully arranged into something pitiful and uncomfortable looking.
"I’m sorry, but I might not be able to follow you anymore," she said. "I might end up being uncomfortable visiting other houses. I should probably head back."
"Do what you want," Ryker said flatly.
He walked with Neve toward the next home without waiting for a response.
Neve looked back once.
Isabella was still waving, her smile slowly changing into something different. Something mischievous. Something that said she had just gotten exactly what she wanted.
She was planning something.
Neve could tell from the expression on her face. She was not giving up. She was just changing her approach.
He thought about the poison in her hand from earlier. He thought about how badly she wanted him gone. He thought about how far she had already gone to try to make that happen.
He rubbed his chin as he slowed his walking.
"Is there a problem?" Ryker asked, matching his pace.
"I don’t know the rules in the leopard tribe," Neve said carefully. "But is there any one of the rules that will grant death as punishment?"
Ryker’s expression shifted immediately.
"Oh. There’s a famous rule," he said. His voice had gone serious. "A member of the leopard tribe must never take the life of another member. Even if the culprit runs, they’ll be hunted down and killed. That’s Cael’s task. He’s the one who carries out the execution."
Neve’s memory snapped back immediately.
The very first day he arrived in this world. He had watched Cael kill another leopard. At the t,ime he had thought it was a territorial thing, a fight over resources or status.
But it was not that at all.
That other leopard had broken the law. That other leopard had killed a tribe member.
And Cael had been the one to enforce the punishment.
The pieces clicked together in Neve’s mind all at once.
Isabella wanted him dead, and she had the poison to do it.
But Isabella could not use the poison on him directly because Ryker was with him and would see it.
So Isabella would do something different.
Isabella would use the poison on someone else. Someone weak. Someone with no mates. Someone like the young beastman they had just left.
She would kill him.
And she would find a way to make it look like Neve had done it.
The law was clear. A member could not kill another member. If Neve was found guilty, Cael would have to execute him. The law would force Cael’s hand.
And Bella would finally have what she wanted.
Neve would be gone.
"Fuck! Bella is going to kill him!" Neve yelled, already turning and running back toward the hut they had just left.
"What? What are you saying?" Ryker called after him, running to catch up.
"She’s going to kill someone and frame me for it!" Neve yelled back, his feet pounding against the snow-covered ground.