Sacrificial Square.
With his new role affirmed, Enzo gave his first directive as the tribe's priest.
He announced, "To better guide the Crimson Star Tribe toward growth, I am establishing the role of Priest Assistant. This person will handle day-to-day responsibilities within the tribe, only informing me in urgent or important matters. For this role, Sovita will serve as the first."
Enzo then turned toward the elder and added, "Sovita, you possess the needed wisdom and experience. This duty is suited to you."
Caught off guard, Sovita blinked. "My lord priest, this has never existed before…"
Enzo responded with a smile. "It does now. For the sake of the tribe, such a position is essential. I don't intend to be buried in small affairs."
Sovita gave a deep nod. "Understood, my lord priest."
Though outwardly compliant, Sovita felt a faint unease. In truth, it seemed all the administrative weight had simply been handed back to him under a new title.
As for Enzo?
He wasn't trying to dodge work—he had his own agenda.
Once the ceremonial duties ended and the tribe dispersed, Enzo brought Tia with him to the cavern where the fox-eared captive was held. Her bindings had been removed, but she hadn't fled. Instead, she stayed huddled in a corner, resembling a wounded animal tending its own pain.
"A remarkable being," Enzo mused aloud.
He stepped closer, ignoring the girl's trembling, and gently stroked one of her furry ears. "Nice texture," he said. "Now that we're alone, will you tell me your name and where you come from?"
The fox girl lifted her head suddenly and lunged at his hand with bared teeth.
She missed.
Enzo's tone hardened. "This is your last chance. If you refuse to cooperate, I'll have you tossed into beast territory. Just picture what they'd do to you—those jaws tearing into your flesh..."
"No!" she cried out abruptly.
A flicker of amusement crossed Enzo's face.
So even a mild threat like that was too much for her. She really was fragile.
With deliberate coldness, he asked, "You don't want that? Convince me, then. What can you offer that would make you worth keeping?"
Her voice trembled as she answered, her head bowed. "I… I can bear your children."
Enzo blinked, caught off guard by her answer. Then he stood and said, "Tia, clean her up. After that, take her back here and wait."
Tia nodded. "Yes, Lord Enzo."
With the matter settled, Enzo stepped out of the cave, turning a small, pungent fruit over in his hand—an oddly round one he'd taken from the fox girl's hair. Judging by the smell and texture, it was likely some sort of spice. His mind wandered briefly to the thought of spicy grilled meat.
Soon after, he summoned Ward.
In the Crimson Star Tribe, priests held supreme authority. Warriors made up the hunting parties and the vanguard units. Then there were others, like Brian—men too injured or ill to fight—who stayed back to do construction and labor. They formed the majority.
Ward was the one who oversaw them.
When Ward arrived, Enzo gave him a direct command. "I want daily collections of wild greens. They'll be used to feed the piglets. Until I say otherwise, no one is to harm them. Understood?"
Ward bowed his head. "Yes, Lord Priest."
Still, he couldn't help but ask, "If you wish to raise animals, why not the cubs of forest sun bears? They're tame and loyal."
Enzo scowled. "Idiot! Who said anything about pets?"
Among the primitive tribes, the concept of animal domestication barely existed. Most people hunted and moved as needed, depending on nature's offerings. Camps were temporary, their lives dictated by the seasons. Even the current Crimson Star settlement had only been established a few months earlier.
Only the stone fire basin was considered a permanent relic.
Enzo didn't want to live that way—always uncertain, always moving. Until he built up enough strength, caution was the wisest path. Domesticating the boar piglets was a key step.
Ward, clearly rattled by Enzo's rebuke, looked like the world had crumbled around him.
Sighing, Enzo added, "Just do as I told you."
Ward quickly nodded, visibly relieved.
Afterward, Enzo sent for Heru.
Soon enough, the vanguard leader appeared and offered a respectful salute. "Lord Priest."
"I need to know something," Enzo began. "In your travels, have you ever come across a pale mineral that animals lick? Bitter to the taste?"
He was asking, of course, about salt.
Mountain-bound as they were, the tribe's access to salt relied on luck—finding deposits in the wild. With enough raw material, Enzo could create a proper method to refine it into edible salt.
Salt was critical—not just for health, but for preserving meat.
Too little salt led to fatigue and illness. Based on the tribe's recorded deaths under Sovita's rule, Enzo suspected many perished from deficiencies.
Salt also meant pickling, which in turn meant stored food.
Heru thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I've seen such a place. A cave about fifty kilometers from camp has some of that mineral. But that's basilisk territory. One of our own died there. They move in groups. Powerful creatures."
The report gave Enzo pause.
Cave basilisks were not to be taken lightly. For now, drying meat would have to suffice.
It wasn't ideal. Dried wild boar meat was tough—hard as bone. Hopefully, the tribe's teeth were up to the challenge.
Back at camp, the tribe had already started working.
Following Enzo's example, they began slicing the piglet meat into strips and hanging it over fires. Others quickly mimicked the setup.
Enzo's dagger proved invaluable. It sliced through tough hide and muscle like it was nothing.
Heru, watching the weapon in action, clearly didn't want to part with it.
Noticing this, Enzo offered a deal. "If you find red-colored ore on your next expedition, I'll see that you get a blade like this."
Heru's eyes lit up. "You're serious, priest?"
Enzo nodded. "But only if you find the ore."
Heru grinned wide. "I'll bring it back!"
Without delay, Heru returned to the camp and gathered the vanguard members. It was nearly time for their scheduled departure. Their next task was to track water sources and monitor beast activity before the rains arrived.
This information was vital for the tribe's safety.
By now, Enzo felt the exhaustion settling in.
Being a priest wasn't simple. Fortunately, he'd assigned Sovita to handle the more tedious work.
Even so, many matters remained unfinished.
He wasn't in a rush. The tribe was stable for now. Development would come with time.
He returned to Tia's cave to rest—and paused at the entrance.
There, on a bed of furs, the fox girl knelt, her lithe frame bare beneath the firelight.
She looked up at him, cheeks flushed, eyes red—but spoke clearly.
"Master… you're back."