Cale casually swept a glance around the restaurant. In the direction Choi Han indicated, he picked out two blonds who looked to be related. Raon’s word choice stuck out to him then. Beings. Not humans.
Those two blonds reminded him of someone. Despite their above-average height and size, they still appeared agile—much like the Tiger Tribe, who would be playing around in the snow back home right about now.
Only then did Cale notice that their golden-blond hair frizzed out in all directions. Could they be…? He looked at Choi Han and tapped his pointer finger against the table. When Choi Han looked down, Cale moved his fingertip, tracing out letters on the tabletop: L-i-o-n-s?
Choi Han shook his head; he didn’t know. Ohn and Hong were similarly clueless, answering him with little shrugs. Even beastfolk couldn’t immediately identify one another, and the other party’s superior strength made the task all the more challenging.
Then Raon piped up, ‹Oh! They’re lions! No wonder. They seemed a lot like the wolves, but they smelled different!›
This dragon really was all-knowing. Cale dragged both hands down his face with a weighty sigh.
Tiger, bear, whale, and lion—those were the four strongest beastfolk tribes, with the wolves falling just beneath them in power. Of those four, the Bear Tribe and the Lion Tribe were notorious for their impressive numbers.
I didn’t expect the secret organization to have lions.
He had assumed the secret organization only included humans. Based on the way Arm had treated the whales, wolves, and tigers up to this point, he’d believed that they sought to make humans the world’s strongest life-form. This changed things.
Cale discreetly observed the two lions. They seem quite tough.
The lions looked rather imposing, even while gracefully eating their meal. The air about them suggested that they commanded respect among the Lion Tribe. I suppose they’d need to be pretty high up the ladder if they’re staying at the duke’s place.
“All the other members had masks on,” Hong murmured. “Only those two didn’t cover their faces.”
They definitely held some rank, then. No wonder they equaled Rosalyn in power.
Cale’s mood soured in a flash. I wanted to eat in peace… But now he had to deal with these useless fools. Still, he calmed himself down and opened up the menu.
Choi Han watched as Cale intently perused the restaurant’s fare. “It’ll be fine, Mr. Cale. I’m here,” he said quietly. “If you’re worried, do you want me to follow them afterward?”
“Have you decided what you want?”
“Sorry?”
With a straight face, Cale replied, “Everything looks so tasty. I can’t choose what to order.”
He had cast aside all other concerns in favor of picking something to eat. Disregarding Choi Han’s dumbfounded expression, he motioned with his eyes to the kittens. They pointed to the pictures of their desired dishes with clandestine claws.
‹Human, I want five! I’ll pick five dishes! It’s free, so I can eat it all!›
Dragons were great and mighty indeed. Impressed by Raon’s pronouncement, Cale placed their orders. Choi Han ordered for himself as well.
Under his watchful eyes, Cale spoke in a leisurely tone. “If you know the enemy and know yourself…”
Choi Han suddenly recalled a famous quote from Earth: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
Is that what Mr. Cale is going to say?
Alas, Choi Han’s guess was far from the mark.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you can cook up an even bigger shit show.” Gleefully, he added, “And you can steal their stuff without getting caught.”
Plus, you can prepare for the future.
Cale kept that last part to himself. He paid no heed to Choi Han’s reaction, instead keeping tabs on the lions as they finished and stood. Suddenly, the male lion locked eyes with Cale, startling him.
The lion scoffed at Cale as if to say, Yeah, I understand why you’d want to gawk at a knockout like me.
In truth, that was exactly what he was thinking. I guess I turn heads wherever I go, the lion mused. Chuckling at his spectators, the lion exited with his female companion.
What’s up with that lunatic? Cale thought. The male lion was a different kind of crazy than what Cale had encountered before. In any case, Cale had gleaned quite a bit from the two lions’ appearances.
As Raon mentioned, the lions had to be around Rosalyn’s skill level, as they’d failed to register either Choi Han’s or Raon’s capabilities. They also seemed to take Ohn and Hong for regular kittens.
They’re not overwhelmingly impressive.
As Cale scrutinized the lions’ large bodies, his brain shifted into gear. Lions live in prides. Unlike the Tiger Tribe, lions lived in groups; they were stronger when they fought together. If a streak of tigers faced off against a pride of lions, chances were high that the lions would come out on top.
Before long, a different tribe occupied Cale’s thoughts: the Blue Wolf Tribe. Wolves couldn’t compare to lions in terms of brute strength, but they could be fearsome in their own right.
I need to raise Lark right.
Though Cale had helped Lark overcome a bit of his timidity, the day when the teen would become the Wolf King was still a long way off. Cale had seen Lark training with Choi Han according to human methods, but this encounter with the Lion Tribe had him itching to fast-track the young wolf’s development.
And not just Lark.
His younger siblings needed to grow into respectable wolves as well.
If we add the tigers’ guerrilla warfare tactics…
Nobody could match the tigers’ combination of brains and brawn in a one-on-one battle. If the Wolf Tribe and the Tiger Tribe joined forces…
It’s worth a shot.
The idea definitely had value. The Bear Tribe remained a concern, but Cale would cross that bridge when he came to it.
Once the two lions had left the restaurant, Cale said, “For now, let’s eat.”
“Meow!”
“Meeeow!”
‹Me next! Please put the salmon steak under the table first!›
Cale snuck the salmon steak under the tablecloth before digging into his own meal, enjoying his food while idly eyeing the people who came into the restaurant. He hadn’t forgotten the way the lion had scoffed at him.
I’m about to be a real thorn in their side.