Trapped in Beast World: My Husbands Are All Animals! Novel

---- Chapter 41 A Storm Beneath the Calm Halden said casually, "I have what they don't. Let's go out to eat." Ardenia nodded and reached for Halden's hand, pulling him out of the cave with her. That single gesture set everything off. Tobias, Calder, and Niall watched Ardenia lead Halden away with such easy intimacy, and every one of their expressions darkened, grim enough to scare anyone who saw them. Tobias took it the hardest. "Hmph. Didn't they have enough fun fooling around last night? Now they have to flaunt it right in front of me2" he snapped.

He had worked himself up all night making that snakeskin outfit, and it still hadn't been given to her. Exactly," Niall drawled, propping his chin on his hands. He watched Ardenia with a half-smile that wasn't really a smile at all. "Our little female is awfully biased, isn't she?" Only Calder behaved himself. He sat neatly at the table, eating in small, careful bites. The moment he saw Ardenia approaching, he stood up and pulled out a chair for her. "ardenia, you're here. Did you rest well? This one cooled down.

It's for you." ---- As he finished speaking, he set a bowl of meat soup in front of her, the temperature clearly tested and adjusted. Meeting Calder's hopeful gaze, Ardenia picked up the bowl at once and took a sip. "It's perfect. Thank you, Calder." She sat down as she spoke, completely ignoring the two dripping with sarcasm. With this many mates, if she catered to every sulk and grievance, she would exhaust herself to death. She had decided long ago that whoever behaved well would be her treasure. Seeing themselves brushed aside, Tobias and Niall were burning with frustration.

Still, they knew Ardenia was nothing like ordinary females. She would even beat Vesper without hesitation. No one knew what those two were thinking, but judging from the look they exchanged, they were clearly on the same wavelength. Just as they were plotting who knew what, Quincy arrived. And the moment he did, he delivered bad news. Iris and the witch doctor had escaped. The remaining mates, however, had stayed behind. "That's really not good news," Ardenia said, frowning. From her experience, this was no different from asking for disaster.

---- And that's not even the worst part," Quincy said gravely. "The witch doctor is gone. That means the tribe has no witch doctor at all. Summer is coming, along with the rainy season. Insect plagues will be everywhere. Without a witch doctor, something serious is bound to happen." His expression was heavy, his eyes full of worry for the future. As the tribe's chief, he couldn't afford not to think about these things. That was one of the reasons he hadn't executed the witch doctor outright before. Summer was the season when the therians fel ill most easily, especially the young cubs.

Boils, sores, and contagious diseases were common. Even with a witch doctor, it had always been a challenge. Now that the witch doctor had fled, things would be even worse. Insects. Just the mention of them made Ardenia shudder. Back in her previous life on the mountain, there had been plenty of bugs too. At least that had been a modern world, with disinfectants and advanced insect control. Even then, she had been bitten until she was covered in welts. Now she was in this primitive Beastworld. ---- It was still spring, yet insects were already everywhere.

Ardenia didn't even dare imagine how bad it would get once summer arrived. Just thinking about it made goosebumps rise all over her skin. "So, Father, what are you planning to do?" Ardenia asked. Quincy sighed. "That's the second reason | came to see you. | wanted to ask if you might have some way to help everyone. There's nothing urgent for now, but later on..." He trailed off. He knew this was putting her in a difficult position. Even if she had awakened an ability under the Beast God's guidance, that didn't mean she could do everything.

To begin with, almost no one here knew how to treat therian ailments. "If it really comes to it," Quincy said at last, "we'll have to ask a higher- ranked tribe for help." From the strained look on his face, Ardenia could tell that begging a higher-ranked tribe was anything but a good option. Father, don't rush," she said calmly. "This situation started because of me, ina way. | also recognize some medicinal herbs. I'll try to gather them and see what | can do. Itisn't summer yet. Let's try to handle it ourselves first. If that fails, then we can seek help from a higher tribe.

What do you think?" At her words, the gloom on Quincy's face lifted at once. He said excitedly, "Of course. You were guided by the Beast God, after all. | was ---- worried you might not be able to manage this, but hearing you say that puts my mind at ease." "I'll give it a try first," Ardenia replied, not daring to promise too much. Making insect-repellent sachets wasn't difficult, but there was always the risk of unforeseen problems. Mosquito bites caused more than just itching. She had already seen the tribe's living conditions.

Everyone lived in caves, and in summer, they would be hot, damp, and poorly ventilated, with sanitation far from ideal. One small mistake could trigger a chain of contagious diseases, and that would be extremely hard to control. Prevention meant preparing in advance. With that thought, she glanced toward the distant mountains. It looked like she would need to head out soon. "After we eat, I'm going into the mountains," Ardenia announced. "You're going to look for herbs?" Niall asked, puzzled.

Even though their little female had awakened a wood-based ability, that didn't mean she could recognize every medicinal plant.