WORLD OF BEASTS: A Girl For The Beasts

Zia

Chapter 032: Zia

Anindira didn't miss the chance to observe her surroundings the moment she reached the top.

Hm! Anindira exclaimed inwardly, her eyes sweeping across every corner of the tree. There’s more than one house on this tree... So this is what Kak Halvir meant by private ownership territory when I asked why not every giant tree had residents. The tree where Kak Halvir and Kak Hans live only has one house, but here... there are so many! And he’s the village chief...

"Anindira, come inside!" Mischa called from the porch, his voice warm yet firm. "For now, you'll be staying here with her."

"Yes, Uncle. Thank you..." Anindira replied politely, though her eyes never stopped roaming around.

"Anindira, come in!" Zia invited. She was already waiting by the doorway with a cheerful smile.

A brief glance was enough to surprise Anindira. There was a house on a higher branch, nearly twice the size of Zia's house. Meanwhile, Zia's own house stood beside another one, lined up neatly on the same branch.

The moment she stepped inside Zia's home, the atmosphere felt completely different from Halvir's house—warm, lively, and full of color.

Various furnishings filled every corner of the room. Wooden boxes were neatly arranged, storing clothes and fabrics. A large straw bed covered with animal hides sat against one side, exactly like Halvir's bed, yet it felt far more personal. Beside it stood a table with a complete shelving unit, resembling a modern vanity table from the human world, stocked with all of Zia's daily necessities. Furniture made from wood, clay, and stone blended beautifully together, creating a traditional appearance that was surprisingly pleasing to the eye.

"Wow..." Anindira murmured in amazement, her eyes sparkling. "Turns out I've underestimated this Beast World. It's unique... but beautiful. These ornaments and trinkets must be jewelry, all lined up neatly on the shelves. And look at the four corners of the room..."

She crouched down and touched the standing pillars positioned at each corner, catching a faint scent.

"Tallow... tallow candles! So these are... candle stands. They're almost as tall as Zia and me. With these, they have lighting... nice, at least it won't be pitch-dark anymore."

"Zia, you use these?!" Anindira asked excitedly, her eyes shining. "You light them, right?!"

"Candles?" Zia exclaimed, confused by Anindira's over-the-top reaction. "Of course. We light them once it gets dark. It's still bright right now because of the sunlight."

"I know that... but these candles... they're candles!" Anindira cried, repeating Zia's words while staring at the candle stands in fascination.

Halvir had never taught her about them because there weren't any in his house.

"That's strange... you look like you've never seen them before," Zia said with a laugh, her eyes narrowing with amusement.

"Eum." Anindira nodded. "I really haven't. You have no idea how miserable I've been whenever night falls. But now... with these candles, I'll be much more comfortable. I think even if Kak Halvir isn't around, I'll be fine as long as I have these candles."

Zia frowned slightly, still trying to understand Anindira's train of thought.

Hm... poor Halvir. His place was immediately replaced by a candle... she thought with a faint smile.

Anindira continued looking around enthusiastically as her thoughts wandered.

Maybe these are the things Kak Halvir has been searching for. Other than a bed and storage chests, I haven't seen any of this in his house.

She kept examining every unique piece of furniture, almost completely ignoring the bewildered look Zia was giving her for behaving so "unsophisticated."

"Zia, where's your mother? I don't see her," Anindira asked curiously as she looked around.

"She went out with Father Ruvi," Zia answered casually.

"Father?!" Anindira blurted out in shock. "Ruvi?! Then earlier... Uncle Mischa..."

She stared at Zia suspiciously.

"My father?" Zia replied, confused by Anindira's reaction.

"Yeah, he's your father, right?!"

"Yes, he's my father. Did you forget? We already introduced ourselves earlier... just now..."

"I-I guess..." Anindira stammered, unsure how to respond. "Ah... I'm so oblivious. So even primitives have divorce..."

"Sorry, Zia..."

"Sorry?" Zia asked, raising an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Well... I thought I hurt your feelings by reminding you about your mother..." Anindira answered while lowering her head awkwardly.

"What's wrong with remembering my mother? If she were here, she'd be chatting with us too," Zia replied cheerfully.

"Wait! She's just out? You mean your mother lives here with you?!" Anindira cried, pointing downward in astonishment.

"No!" Zia answered firmly. "Mother lives in the main house directly above mine."

She pointed upward.

Anindira struggled to process what she had just heard.

I've seen news stories about messy married couples before... but something like this... Is it even safe to live here? She already has a new partner but still lives in the same territory. How is that any different from living under the same roof?

Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the bizarre information.

"You said your mother already has a new partner... and that house is right above yours? Aren't there plenty of other trees?" Anindira asked, her curiosity growing.

"What do you mean? Why would she need to live on another tree? What's wrong with Mother's house being above my father's house?" Zia asked, looking puzzled.

"How could there be nothing wrong with that?" Anindira replied with a frown.

Wait... am I overreacting to an adult issue? Even the village chief acted completely normal about it... and Zia doesn't seem bothered by her mother being with someone else...

"Of course it's not like that!" Zia said firmly. "A stranger would definitely be a problem! My father's approval is required. Otherwise... not only my father, but Mother's other mates would also have the right to kill him for approaching her without their permission!"

Her serious tone startled Anindira.

"Huh?! Kill him?!" Anindira cried, her face turning pale. "Wait... mates... mates? Did I hear that wrong, or am I misunderstanding something?"

She stared at Zia with wide eyes, utterly confused.

Zia was equally bewildered by Anindira's reaction and instinctively took a small step back.

"What's wrong? Why?" Zia asked, her brows knitting together. She looked slightly frightened by the serious expression on Anindira's face.

"Then what about your father?!" Anindira exclaimed, her voice rising. "He lives here with you, right?! Here, directly beneath your mother's house with... whoever that is...?"

"Ruvi..." Zia answered while trying to understand the question.

"Yes, Ruvi!"

"No, Father Ruvi lives below!" Zia quickly continued. "The first father. That's why his house is directly beneath Mother's."

"What? Wait... earlier you said mates... and now you're saying first father? Then who exactly is Ruvi...?"

Anindira was so confused that her mouth nearly fell open.

"My father," Zia answered simply.

"Then Uncle Mischa?!"

"My father."

"Both of them are your fathers?!"

"Yes."

"Then... your father?!" Anindira exclaimed, looking even more bewildered. "Which one is actually your father...?" she muttered uncertainly.

"What do you mean?" Zia frowned. "I don't understand... What are you trying to say, Anindira? Not only is your dialect strange, but you keep talking about things I don't understand..."

"I mean... it's impossible for both of them to be your father!"

"Both of them are my fathers... I have five fathers."

"Huh?!"

Anindira fell silent for a moment, staring at Zia with wide eyes.

Five fathers... five fathers?!

Her mind spun wildly as she tried to understand the logic of a world so completely different from her own.

She almost stumbled over her own confusion.