Chapter 246: Strong Female Lead Power Fantasy Progress: 5%

Meanwhile, Evangeline returned to the tent and first went to check on the cubs.

As she lifted the flap, the warm, milky scent wafted out to greet her. The little ones were all awake, sitting in a circle drinking powdered milk. Even the Merfolk cubs had white stains around their mouths.

The moment he saw she had returned safely, the tension in Danton’s shoulders visibly eased.

Bunny and Genesis called out "Mama" one after another, their voices full of affection. Even the two Merfolk cubs, who couldn’t speak yet, reached their chubby little arms toward Evangeline, asking to be held. It was a heart-melting sight.

Evangeline smiled and went over to hug each of the little ones.

Danton watched the scene, his light blue eyes filled with tenderness.

He reached out to brush the unmelted snowflakes from Evangeline’s hair. "Loras hasn’t woken up yet," he said softly.

"It’s all right." Evangeline shook her head, gently taking Danton’s wrist and leading him toward Loras’s tent.

"There’s something I want to discuss with you and Thorne," she said as they walked.

Evangeline’s voice was soft, but it made Danton’s heart clench. ’Something she needs to discuss with us?’

The moment they lifted the tent flap, Thorne was there to greet them. His dark green, slitted pupils contracted in the dim light as he scanned Evangeline from head to toe. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I’m fine. The Beastman tribes have all left." Evangeline’s voice was calm. She paused, her gaze sweeping over her two mates before she added in a low voice, "However, we won’t be going back to Blackwater Swamp either."

Though she didn’t elaborate, Danton and Thorne understood her unspoken meaning.

A brief silence fell over the tent.

Thorne’s fists clenched, his eyes turning bloodshot. A savage anger surged within him as he thought of the Beastman tribes that had attacked them for no reason. It was all because of those bastards who couldn’t tell right from wrong—they had destroyed their home.

Danton’s lowered lashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyes, and a trace of exhaustion showed in his light-blue irises. He pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

After a moment of contemplation, Evangeline said, "There’s something I want to discuss with you."

Hearing this, Thorne frowned in displeasure, the black scales on his neck tensing. "What is there to discuss? Just tell us what you want to do. Would Danton and I ever refuse you? Did you discover something when you went back to Blackwater Swamp?"

Danton remained silent, but his tense jawline betrayed his feelings.

Evangeline’s gaze shifted. She looked up at the two of them, a dark glint flashing in her slender eyes.

She took both of their hands. "I’m going beyond the Triangle Sea. You can come with me, or you can stay behind."

Evangeline’s gaze flickered between the two of them.

The city-state civilization beyond the Triangle Sea was entirely different from the brutal, savage laws of survival in Norfell.

There, they would inevitably find strict hierarchies, rigid order, and even suffocating rules that would be like shackles to Beastmen from the wilderness. Taking them along was one thing, but whether they could adapt was another. She knew all too well how great the shock of this civilizational gap would be for them.

"You need to think this through. It’s very different there. It’s not a place where Norfell Beastmen can easily survive."

She would respect their decision.

Thorne scoffed, his dark green eyes fixed on Evangeline. The soft RUSTLE of scraping scales filled the tent as a black serpentine tail gently coiled around her waist. "What’s there to be afraid of? My life has long been yours. Besides, we’re going to find Caden Albright and Lachlan. We can’t just let them remain as Warriors forever, can we?"

Danton squeezed Evangeline’s cool wrist, his light blue, slitted pupils flashing with a dark light. "The Mer Clan does not fear the Abyss."

Thorne raised an eyebrow. "Then what about the rest of the Mer Clan?"

The corners of Danton’s mouth lifted into a faint smile, a profound calm reflected in his eyes. "Hasn’t Eva already made her decision?"

Evangeline glanced up at him, her red lips pressed into a thin line.

’These Beast Husbands of mine are mostly clever men.’

"Yes, that’s right. I intend to lead the Mer Clan across the Triangle Sea, into a new territory, and establish a new settlement. Perhaps there, we should use a new name for it. Not a tribe, but a... city-state."

"City-state?"

"City-state?"

Both Thorne and Danton were taken aback, not fully understanding. Yet, as the unfamiliar word rolled off their tongues, an inexplicable sense of awe rose in their hearts, as if they had just brushed against some magnificent concept that transcended the Beastman Continent.

Evangeline’s expression was calm and resolute. "And it’s not just the Mer Clan. Any tribe in Norfell that wishes to cross the Triangle Sea can join us."

Thorne’s brows knitted together sharply, a cold, fierce light flashing in his eyes. "The Beastmen from those tribes are foolish and selfish! Bringing them along will only cause trouble!"

He wanted nothing more than to slaughter every last one of those tribal Beastmen; how could he possibly agree to take them across the Triangle Sea?

Evangeline tilted her head, her slender, fox-like eyes curving with lazy cunning. "Cause trouble? Or can they be used to clear a path for us?"

"Clear a path?" Thorne’s frown deepened. The straightforward Beastman clearly didn’t understand the concept of using others to scout for danger.

"In any case, spread the word: Norfell is plagued by constant disasters and is no longer a place fit for survival. Once word gets out, the various tribes will have no choice but to stake everything on one last chance and journey with us beyond the Triangle Sea."

Evangeline’s expression was serene, her dark pupils clear and devoid of any emotion.

’In the end, this was the last bit of use she had for these Norfell tribes.’

’Before that, however, she still needed to make a trip to the base of Thorncliff.’

’Since she was being forced to travel beyond the Triangle Sea, she might as well prepare a "grand gift" for this so-called city-state civilization.’

’Conveniently, she had taken a strong dislike to the mastermind pulling the strings. She would bring some extra trouble with her and show him that this outsider wasn’t just useful—she was also exceptionally good at making a mess of things.’

’She was never the type to let others push her around.’

Danton didn’t ask further questions. He simply gave a slight nod, his long, azure hair spilling over his shoulders. "Leave it to the Mer Clan."

Evangeline hummed in acknowledgment before looking up at Thorne. "Hasn’t Elias Moretti always wanted to travel beyond the Triangle Sea?"

Thorne paused, his tall frame tensing for a second. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "All right. I’ll make a trip to the Grymdale Tribe."

’He didn’t understand why Eva wanted to bring along such a burden, but as long as it was what she wanted, he would do it.’

"Move quickly. I have a feeling that this Cold Season... will be a difficult one to survive."

Evangeline gazed at the blizzard raging outside, a frosty look settling upon her features.

’They might have to cross the Triangle Sea during the harshest part of the Cold Season.’

Before leaving the tent, Danton suddenly stopped and looked back at Evangeline. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "What about Drake?"

’The Goldeagle Tribe had already migrated and left Norfell. If they went beyond the Triangle Sea, wouldn’t that mean they would never see him again?’

The corners of Evangeline’s eyes lifted. "They migrated simply to find shelter from the cold. As far as I know, the Abyss, which borders the Triangle Sea, is the only place unaffected by the Cold Season. Coincidentally, that is also the habitat of the Swarm."

’Drake and The Everwake... both were the final key figures she needed to win over for her mission.’

’This change of scenery was the perfect opportunity to win them over.’

’After all, who could possibly refuse a female capable of leading her people across the Triangle Sea to found a new civilization?’

’The murkier the waters, the better.’