Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 676

"Um, isn't this way too much no matter how you look at it..."

Coughing from the rising dust cloud, I looked toward where the two had been standing and saw two large shadows emerging from the swirling dirt.

Squinting, I could see Kalua in his beastified state covered in white fur, his fist buried deep in the abdomen of Kamui who was similarly transformed with pale gray fur.

Wait no, at this point it's just two giant polar bears wrestling.

Speaking of which, do polar bears even exist in this world?

As I quipped internally, I heard Kamui's defiant chuckle. "Hahaha... You've improved somewhat. But this level won't be enough to defeat me. First, let me teach you how to throw a proper punch."

"...?! Come at me, Little Red Riding Hood."

When Kalua glared while gritting his teeth, Kamui's eyebrow twitched and a vein bulged on his forehead.

"Don't call me by that name."

Kamui spat these words before driving his fist upward into Kalua's solar plexus.

In that moment, even I watching felt my stomach clench at the heavy, dull sound that echoed.

That had to hurt like hell.

"Gah...?!"

As Kalua dropped to one knee involuntarily, Kamui grinned.

"This is how a bear clansman throws a punch. What matters is overwhelming physical strength, grip power, and speed - magic is just a superficial trick. 'Earth Shattering Fist' is good magic, but it's wasted if the practitioner lacks fundamentals."

"...Shut up. I can... I can still fight."

Kalua spat out blood-tinged saliva before rising to glower at Kamui.

"Oh? You've grown not just skill but backbone too. Then let me properly teach you what beastification truly means."

"Just what I wanted."

Kalua and Kamui exchanged bestial roars as they began trading punches, each blow alternating between them.

The sight of two beastified bear clansmen - easily over 3 meters tall - brawling at close range was tremendously powerful.

Powerful, sure, but honestly I was just exhausted from everything.

With a sigh, I plopped down cross-legged on the grass.

"Just do whatever you want until you're both satisfied."

Maybe I could learn something useful for the fight against Johan.

Thinking this, I settled in to spectate Kamui and Kalua's slugfest.

◇

That night, after (somehow) completing both the rice field inspection and beastification training...

Kamui hosted a social gathering at the tribal longhouse.

I, Amon, and Chris were still dressed in ox clan attire.

Needless to say, my eyes widened at the sheer volume of food arranged on the banquet tables at this buffet-style event.

Massive platters piled high with vibrantly colorful dishes.

While the ox clan had similar spreads, I recalled theirs featuring more vegetable-based dishes.

The bear clan's cuisine also included vegetables, but was dominated by flour-based foods, meats, and fish dishes.

While equally abundant, the greater variety gave the impression the bear clan simply ate more overall.

"It all looks delicious. Shall we eat?"

"Yes, mother."

"Here, let me fix you a plate."

A bear clan family I assumed were nobles stood before the spread, deftly serving food onto their plates with practiced ease.

The lady stood around 2 meters tall with a slender build and dignified air.

The boy (clearly their child) was taller than me, but his youthful face and interactions suggested he was younger.

The husband, while not as huge as Kamui, still towered over his wife.

Incidentally, the serving plates only looked small because the bear clansmen were so large - they were actually much bigger than my head.

The plate in my hand wasn't a "serving dish" but considered a "small plate" here.

For some reason, that stung my boyish pride a little.

Looking around, everyone was like this bear clan family.

If this world had sports like basketball or volleyball where height mattered, the bear and ox clans would undoubtedly be powerhouses.

Or rather, powerhouse tribes.

"Lord Rid, enjoying yourself?"

Turning at the call, I saw Kalua standing there.

In normal form, of course - no beastification.

Just his usual gentle self.

"Ah, Lord Kamui. Yes, we're all having a wonderful time."

As I bowed slightly, I surveyed our group.

Capella and Tink remained near me while taking turns fetching food.

Surprisingly, Nina - the maid accompanying us to help with Tink and Claude - was eating heartily.

The bear clan's cooking used different ingredients and flavors than the Empire's, which seemed to delight her.

Amon, as the fox clan chieftain, was constantly approached by bear clan nobles paying respects.

The standard routine involved greetings followed by introductions of their daughters.

Though similar in age to us, the bear clan young ladies already matched other tribes' adults in height.

Their mature features and builds could easily be mistaken for grown women without context.

Same went for their actual peers.

Nobles had been approaching me too earlier, but with one key difference:

Hardly any introduced their daughters.

Apparently, news that I'd commissioned Farah's sculpture had spread within a day, cementing my reputation as surpassing merely "devoted husband" to enter "obsessively wife-crazy" territory.

The evidence? A bear clan young lady's question during the first such approach:

"Pardon me, but rumors say Lord Rid's devotion to his wife exceeds normal bounds. Is this true?"

"Uh, well... yeah, I guess so."

Having long given up explaining, I simply smiled brightly in confirmation.

Strangely, the young lady's expression had shifted to something like awe, as if beholding something sacred.

After that, no more daughter introductions.

I could feel eyes watching from a distance though - maybe they thought me more eccentric than devoted.

A faint worry nagged me, but I decided they could think whatever they liked.

Glancing at Chris and Emma, I saw them actively engaging nobles and matrons.

Chris used his ox clan attire as conversation starter with clear strategic intent.

They had that "never miss an opportunity" mercantile aura, with Emma occasionally pulling memos from her breast pocket.

Those notes were likely lists of important contacts to cultivate.

Their business instincts never slept.

"I see. That's good then."

As Kamui nodded, he continued: "Actually..."

"Would you join me for a word over there?"

"Over there?"

Following his gaze, I saw a large window leading to a spacious balcony.

He wanted to speak privately.

"Understood. After you."

"My apologies."

We moved to the balcony and closed the window behind us.

I'd instructed Capella and Tink to wait by the window - both to prevent interruptions and for security.

Moonlight illuminated the plains stretching beyond, night winds rippling through grassy waves.

The starry sky above held a perfect full moon.

The breeze carried a slight chill, but not enough to be uncomfortable.

Perfect for cooling alcohol-induced warmth - not that I could drink.

"Wow, it's beautiful."

The words slipped out as I inhaled deeply before turning to Kamui.

"So, what did you want to discuss?"

"...About today's beastification training."

As Kamui spoke, a strong night wind gusted.

The grassy waves surged, their rustling unusually loud in the nocturnal stillness.