After cleaning Ethan’s wound and covering it with a bandage made from strips of cloth, Lily narrated the things that happened since she regained consciousness.
According to her, the two of them were laying near the riverside when she woke up. Both of them were injured, and Lily was too exhausted to even lift a finger.
Fortunately, it just so happened that the Kendall Tribe was passing through and immediately came to help them.
The first thing that Lily noticed was that almost all of the men looked like warriors, with their upper part bereft of any clothes.
Their bulging muscles could be seen, and the necklaces they wore, which she believed to be animal teeth, adorned their necks.
Unlike the men, the women didn’t look warrior-like and wore animal furs, covering most of their bodies.
As someone who had lived among the Beast Tribe, Lily assumed that these people were similar to the nomadic tribes of Southshire, who would often migrate from place to place, looking for greener pastures.
Since that was the case, she assumed that they shared similar customs, especially when it came to the relationship between men and women.
Ethan was with her, so she used him to prevent others from taking advantage of her. Warrior Tribes, especially those who prided themselves for being brave and courageous, would not stoop so low as to steal the wives of others.
The cutest girl of Brynhildr Academy was still a maiden.
So, in order to protect herself, Lily did the only thing she could do, and that was to tell their rescuers that she was Ethan’s wife and that the two of them were on a pilgrimage to visit their Ancestral Lands to pay respect to their Ancestors before consummating their marriage.
This was a good excuse, knowing that most tribes had this tradition.
She just added that they were attacked by a group of Barbarians, forcing them to jump in the river to save their lives.
Since the Kendall Tribe took them in, they had no choice but to stay with them until they made landfall.
After explaining everything to Ethan, the handsome young man nodded his head.
“I understand the situation now,” Ethan commented. “But do you have any ideas for how we will be able to find the Nexus that will return us to our own time?”
Lily pondered for a bit before looking at him with a complicated look on her face.
“The handful of people who managed to return from a Nexus said that they were able to find another Nexus after following the flow of events that they found themselves in when they returned to the past.
“I believe that since the Kendall Tribe found us and is currently traveling to one of their Migration Strongholds, it is highly possible that the Nexus will be in that location. But before it appears, we must first meet certain conditions.”
Ethan arched an eyebrow. “Conditions? What conditions?”
Lily paused a bit in order to find the right words to explain how the Nexus Survivors were able to return to their own timeline.
“It is similar to a Quest,” Lily explained. “Let’s take our escort mission as an example. If we managed to safely bring Mr. Leroy to Roselake City, we would be able to get our rewards.
“Although there wasn’t any definite proof, the survivors believed that the Nexus that took them back home was a ‘reward’ after completing the mission of helping the people that were in their immediate vicinity when they arrived in the past.
“In this case, Grandma Ria, Jenna, and her family, which are the Tribe Chieftain’s family, are the people we need to follow closely if we want to get back home. Whatever problems they face in this journey, we need to help them overcome it. Then and only then will the Nexus reappear.”
Ethan had also read the books about the Nexus Survivors, and after hearing Lily’s explanation, he found some logic in it.
“So, we follow the Kendall Tribe, specifically the Chieftain’s family, and do our best to assist them if a problem arises, am I right, Lily?”
“Yes. This is our only lead for us to return home.”
Just as the two finished talking, Lily sensed the presence of someone coming and immediately placed a finger over her lips, signaling Ethan to stop talking.
Half a minute later, a man, who seemed to be in his late thirties or early forties, stepped inside the room. He was accompanied by a younger woman, whom Lily recognized as Jenna’s mother, and the Chieftain’s wife.
“Are the two of you feeling better?” the Chieftain of the Kendall Tribe, who went by the name Adrian, asked.
“Yes, Great Chieftain,” Lily bowed her head respectfully. “We are well thanks to your Tribe’s generosity and hospitality.”
Ethan also bowed his head and also thanked their saviors, which left a good impression on Adrian.
“Since you just woke up, allow me to introduce to you the members of my family,” Chieftain Adrian said. “This is my wife, Holly, and this is my daughter, Jenna. My mother’s name is Ria, and you are currently staying in the Kendall Tribe. Although it is unfortunate, your pilgrimage toward your Ancestral Lands will be delayed for the time being.
“My Tribe is currently traveling towards the Lands of Alastor, and we will be staying there for a few months. The Great Overlord died, and we must go there in order to pay our respects to him and his family.
“We will also stay and wait until the other tribes have all agreed on who will replace him and become the new Great Overlord. Until then, I am afraid that you will not be able to return to your homeland since we’d be traveling to the nearest continent.”
Ethan and Lily exchanged a glance before nodding their heads at the same time.
“Understood, Great Chieftain,” Lily replied. “My husband and I will be under your care.”
Adrian nodded. “Your name is Ethan, right? Lily already told me your name.”
“Yes, Great Chieftain.”
“You are a lucky man to be able to find someone as beautiful as Lily. If I weren’t married, I might just challenge you to a duel to make her my woman.”
The Great Chieftain laughed, while his wife, Holly, only shook her head helplessly.
“I already told my people that the two of you are our guests,” Chieftain Adrian stated. “I also stated that no one is allowed to challenge you because you and Lily still haven’t consummated your marriage due to unforeseen circumstances.
“Although I expect that they will obey my orders, you should play it safe and stay on our family’s Reed Island in order to prevent any trouble from taking place. This is especially true for you, Lily. Our Warriors can sense that you are a strong lady, and also proficient in fighting.
“This combination is very deadly, especially for our warriors who still haven’t found a mate. Right now, everyone is eyeing you as a prize, so don’t come out of the house unless it is absolutely necessary. 𝑜𝓥𝑙xt.𝒸𝑶𝓂
The smile on Lily’s face stiffened after hearing the Great Chieftain’s words.
While these kinds of challenges weren’t uncommon in tribes when settling disputes, she didn’t expect them to also have this kind of custom, especially when it came to courting women to become their mates.
Fortunately, the Kendall Tribe had a monogamous tradition. She also knew that the Great Chieftain was just joking when he spoke the words about challenging Ethan.
Actually, Lily understood what Adrian was trying to say.
Although he couldn’t challenge Ethan because he was already married, that didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be other warriors who would try challenging him in order to gain her favor.
During ancient times, especially in warrior tribes, people believed that they needed to sire strong warriors. Because of this tradition, the women were educated to only mate with strong men in order to strengthen their bloodline.
Of course, Lily didn’t care about the Kendall Tribe’s tradition because her own tribe had their own customs.
‘I just hope we find the Nexus soon,’ Lily thought. ‘I don’t want to stay in this world for a long period of time.’
As to whether her wish would be granted or not, she would soon find out the moment they arrived in the Lands of Alastor.
———-
Author Note: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Wizard World Irregular Comics are now available in Webtoons. Thanks to those who donated in Patreon and made this possible.