Leonard read it carefully. Stage 4. Higher than Borami’s Stage 3. Evolution Progress 3,147 out of 10,000—aning he was about a third of the way to Stage 5. But still weaker than Beatrice, though.
’Is he the tribe chief?’ Leonard wondered.
Tharun was conversing with the n around him. His voice was deep and booming, carrying even to where Leonard stood. They were discussing the hunt—how they fought a fanged beast and a Hungerman, who killed the most, and new hunting techniques.
Leonard took a deep breath and stepped forward, out of the shadows.
His approach didn’t go unnoticed. Their conversation slowed, then stopped entirely. All eyes turned to him.
Leonard stopped a few steps from the fire circle. He hesitated, opened his mouth to speak, but—
"Hey! The one who lost to the little rabbit!" soone shouted from the side, followed by laughter.
"Look at that! A hairless ape!" another chid in.
"So skinny! What did they feed you in your hotown? Leaves?"
Leonard clenched his jaw, restraining himself from replying. He chose to ignore them and focus on Tharun.
But before he could speak, Tharun spoke first.
His voice was loud and energetic, not dismissive like the others. "Hey! You must be Leo, the one I’ve heard about!"
Leonard blinked. "Y-yes. I’m Leo."
Tharun laughed heartily, slapping his large thigh. "I heard about you from the rabbits! They said you suddenly appeared in the forest, naked, with mory loss, got captured, and there were so misunderstandings!"
He laughed again. "What bad luck!"
Leonard didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Yeah... sothing like that."
Tharun leaned forward, narrowing his eyes as he examined Leonard, but not with contempt. More like genuine curiosity.
"You really don’t rember anything?" he asked. "About your family? Your holand?"
Leonard shook his head. "Not at all."
"Hm." Tharun nodded. Then suddenly asked, "Are you sure you’re from the ape tribe?"
Leonard froze. "What do you an?"
Tharun gestured at Leonard’s body with his large chin. "Apes have fur. A lot of fur." He pointed to himself, then to the n around him. "Look at us. Furry. Look at you. Almost none."
Leonard swallowed. This was the question he had feared.
"I... I’m an ape," he said, trying to sound confident. "Maybe from a different kind. One with less fur."
So of the n laughed. "A kind of ape with less fur? That’s not an ape!"
But Tharun didn’t laugh. He stared at Leonard for a mont, then nodded.
"Fine. If you say you’re an ape, you’re an ape." He stood up and turned to face the crowd.
"HEY! EVERYONE! LISTEN!"
His booming voice overpowered the crackling fire and chatter. Everyone turned.
"This is Leo!" Tharun pointed at Leonard with a hand as big as an oar. "He’s from our ape tribe! Just arrived in our village! He’s lost his mory—doesn’t rember anything about his past! But he’s an ape, just like us!"
Silence.
Everyone stared at Leonard.
Then a few people snickered. Others smirked. No applause. No warm welco. Only looks that said, Oh, the one who lost to that rabbit girl.
Leonard stiffened his jaw. His hands clenched at his sides.
Tharun, seemingly unaware or unconcerned about the reaction, turned back to Leonard with a thoughtful expression.
"So... you have no mory, no family here, no place to stay, no job," Tharun summarized. "And you ca here asking for help, right?"
Leonard nodded.
Tharun sighed, then turned back to the crowd.
"HEY! Listen! Leo needs a place to stay! Who wants to take him in? Give him a bed and food until his mory returns?"
Silence.
Leonard felt like he was being auctioned off. Like an orphan offered to families. Like... trash.
A man near the bonfire called out mockingly, "Take him in? Why take in trash like that? A man who lost to that stupid rabbit!"
Laughter erupted.
"And he’s not even furry!" soone shouted. "I’d be ashad to have a hairless ape as a housemate!"
"Give him to the won! Maybe they need so entertainnt!" another jeered, prompting louder laughter.
Leonard stood amid the laughter and ridicule, feeling the urge to leave that very second.
His jaw hardened.
His teeth clenched. His fists tightened at his sides. He wanted to shout, to argue, to hit soone. But he knew that in this world, with his weak body and ruined reputation after losing to Lily, protesting would only make things worse.
Let it be, he told himself. Just let it be. As long as I get a place to stay. As long as I survive.
Tharun, sensing the tension in the air, laughed loudly. His massive hand slapped Leonard’s shoulder again, harder this ti.
"Don’t worry, brother! They’re just not used to seeing an ape as smooth as you!" He laughed, and a few n joined in—not kindly. "The important thing is that you’re healthy. Your wounds are healed?"
Leonard nodded.
Tharun nodded in satisfaction. Then he scanned the crowd, looking for soone. His eyes stopped on a middle-aged man sitting slightly apart.
"Hey, Barka!"
The man looked up.
Tharun pointed at Leo. "See this? He’s our brother who lost his mory. Just arrived in the village. Confused, doesn’t know what to do." He paused. "Will you take him in? Give him a place to stay?"
Barka, a middle-aged man with white chest hair, looked Leonard up and down. His expression was unreadable. Then he laughed and shook his head.
"I’m not going to take care of a bed-wetting child, Chief."
So n laughed. Others chid in.
"Just give him to the won, let them raise him!"
"Yeah, maybe he still needs breast milk!"
Leonard stood in the middle of the laughter and mockery and felt like walking away right then and there.
Tharun kept trying. He pointed to several other n around him, offering Leonard like rchandise.
"What about you, Grok? Your house is big, right?"
The man nad Grok glanced at Leonard briefly, then shook his head with a cynical smile. "My house is big, but not for trash. Besides, I don’t want the hassle of taking care of a grown man who lost to a little girl."
Laughter erupted again.
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