A few days ago, after defeating the Night Stalker species, Germain didn't walk away empty-handed.
He obtained something called the "Memory of the Stag Beetle"—a new type of "Gift of Resentment."
So, the true form of the Night Stalker species was a mutated stag beetle?
Germain pondered this deeply.
While seated at the Moon Festival's dining table, contemplating how the "Memory of the Stag Beetle" might benefit him now, his thoughts unexpectedly drifted.
At a nearby long table sat Shizuku, Bisky, and Sanbica.
Bisky was talking to Shizuku and Sanbica in a one-sided conversation, her face wearing a slightly forced smile.
Perhaps it was because her hands were dirtied with mud; she wasn't her usual lively self and instead sat quietly.
Sanbica kept her head down, shy and silent.
With so many people around, she would have preferred to be alone, studying the newly acquired herbs from the Moose Centaur Tribe. Unfortunately, Bisky had dragged her here.
Shizuku, on the other hand, sat upright, her elegantly curved upper body poised as she watched the Moose Centaur Tribe's war dance. Her large eyes sparkled behind her glasses, reflecting the flickering light.
Since the Night Stalker battle ended, Germain had noticed something strange—Shizuku seemed to be avoiding him.
She wouldn't meet his gaze, and even if their eyes accidentally met, she would quickly look away. Conversations were brief and ended as soon as possible.
Germain could sense something was off.
Was she shy? Shizuku... shy?
Just then, with his half-reclined centaur posture, Scela poured Germain a drink with a gurgle, inviting him and Ging to join him for a few rounds.
Germain and Ging had no choice but to raise their nearly overflowing glasses and drink with Scela.
Since the Night Stalker battle, Scela had also been acting strangely.
He seemed overly respectful toward Germain and was particularly curious about the Sacred Moonlight Sword in Germain's possession.
On their journey, Scela and the other four moose centaur warriors treated Germain with utmost respect. It seemed as if they simply wanted another chance to admire his greatsword.
Germain wasn't the type to show off his collection, so he only occasionally fulfilled their requests.
Every time he conjured the Sacred Moonlight Sword, it left Scela and the other four warriors in awe.
They always said that the power of the "moon" had become part of Germain himself, which is why he could manifest such a weapon.
"It's truly magnificent..." The moose centaurs would stroke the blade of the Sacred Moonlight Sword, unable to hold back their admiration.
The moose centaurs were no strangers to Nen and Conjuration abilities. They didn't have a structured way of describing them, but the principles and frameworks were quite similar.
For example, Scela's "Battle Prelude" ability, showcased during the night raid, was essentially an Emission-type Nen ability, as defined on the Six Continents.
It worked similarly to Melody's Nen ability as a "Music Hunter." Scela used rousing words to inspire himself and the warriors around him.
However, Germain, Ging, Shizuku, and Bisky seemed unaffected. It was likely that the ability required specific conditions, like long-term companionship or mutual trust, to take effect.
In addition, Germain observed that most of the Nen users in the moose centaur tribe were at an "elite level."
Even the aging tribal chief hadn't fallen below the "elite" standard.
It could be said that the entire tribe was composed of Nen-capable warriors.
This group of fierce warriors had organized a Moon Ritual—an event rarely opened to outsiders—and had invited Germain and his companions to join. Naturally, they agreed.
Later, through conversations with the tribal chief and Scela, Germain, Ging, Shizuku, and Bisky learned many details about the ritual.
For instance, the calendar used in the Dark Continent differed from the one on the Six Continents. According to the Dark Continent calendar, it was November 6, 1998.
Meanwhile, on the Six Continents, it was already December 25, 1998—more than a month ahead.
As Germain balanced Scela's enthusiastic chatter with his own thoughts, he suddenly noticed a towering figure approaching him.
Germain recognized this moose centaur as Scela's younger brother, Kioris.
On the way to the old chief's residence with Germain and the others, Scela apologized to the group on behalf of Kioris for his cold and rude behavior at the gate.
He explained that his younger brother had always been deeply distrustful of outsiders because their tribe had once been betrayed by "allies."
The betrayal had caused both physical and emotional trauma to the elder chief, Scela, Kioris, and the rest of the moose centaur tribe. However, Kioris took it to an extreme.
Since then, Kioris had been unable to tolerate betrayal and was highly wary of people from other races—except for Don Freecss.
Don Freecss had known the moose centaur tribe for a century or two. Generations of the tribe recognized and trusted him, and he had no reason to betray them.
Scela also added that once someone spent enough time with Kioris, he would eventually treat them with the same politeness he showed to Don.
He believed his younger brother was adaptable, but it just took time for him to change his mindset and fully accept others.
Because of Scela's words, the group was shocked when Kioris walked up to them and declared that he wanted to duel Germain during the Moon Festival.
Scela immediately stood up, his four hooves clattering as he walked briskly toward his brother. His earlier smile had vanished, replaced by a furrowed brow that mirrored Kioris's.
He tried to persuade Kioris, but Kioris stubbornly refused to back down.
At that moment, Germain had yet to say anything. Instead, Ging leaned back, propping himself up with his hands, and laughed loudly.
Germain turned to look at him.
"Isn't this great?" Ging said with a grin. "I've participated in similar duels before. Now it's your turn, Germain."
"Besides, Kioris mentioned that such duels are a tradition during the Moon Festival. So let's go for it! It'll be entertaining for everyone—it's a good thing, right?"
Most of what Ging said was in the human language, but for the words "duel" and "Moon Festival," he used the moose centaur language he had just learned.
He mimicked the pronunciation surprisingly well, and Scela, Kioris, and the other moose centaurs understood him clearly.
Hearing what Ging said, Scela's eyes darted around as if he had thought of something. Suddenly, he no longer opposed Kioris's challenge.
He smiled, a hint of excitement in his expression, as he turned to Germain and asked, "Is that okay, Germain?"
"Sure," Germain replied casually, standing up as if following the local customs.
Then Scela followed up, "Germain, can we use... that?"
"Which one?"
Scela quickly gestured to mimic the Moon Ritual, adding a swinging motion as if slashing, letting his actions speak louder than words.
Germain immediately understood, nodding with confidence. "Alright, I'll use it."
Scela's grin grew wider with delight. He turned to Kioris, giving his younger brother a firm pat on the shoulder, urging him to prepare himself.
Afterward, he ran over to the elder chieftain to explain the situation. A moment later, the chieftain nodded in agreement.
Thus, the duel for the Moon Ritual was officially set.
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