CHAPTER 323: CHAPTER-323

The sparrow stared at her for a moment longer, his round eyes full of outrage and disbelief. Then, slowly, he gave in and started pecking furiously at the corn, grumbling in between bites.

Veer chuckled quietly beside them, shaking his head, while Cutie hid a smile behind his hand.

Kaya just leaned back, watching the sparrow eat, and muttered under her breath, "Unbelievable... even the birds here throw tantrums."

Kaya looked at Veer, her expression serious as the soft crackle of the nearby torches mixed with the sound of people laughing in the distance.

"Veer," she began, her brows knitting slightly, "why do those bull-tribe men need meat instead of green veggies or fruits? And..." she paused, glancing toward the lively marketplace that stretched behind them, "...is there a single tribe that rules over this whole capital? I mean, they mentioned taxes and guards — so who exactly organizes all that? Who makes the rules here?"

Veer, who had just taken another bite of his corn, paused mid-chew. He turned to Gandharva, who was quietly sitting beside him, as if checking if he should explain or let him do it. When Gandharva nodded slightly, Veer swallowed his bite and said,

"Actually," his tone softened as he wiped his fingers on a cloth, "this capital isn’t ruled by a single tribe. It’s shared — controlled by fifteen tribes in total."

Kaya’s brows lifted a little, interest flickering in her eyes.

He continued, "You see, each tribe sends one representative — the one they believe is the strongest, wisest, or most capable — and those fifteen leaders together form the ruling circle. They call it the Council of Claws."

He leaned back, resting his corn on his knee. "They decide everything. Whose voice is heard, what laws to make, what disputes to settle... even the building of a house inside this capital needs their approval. Without it, you can’t claim land or raise a single wall."

Kaya frowned slightly, the glow of the nearby fire reflecting in her eyes. "So even to live here freely, one has to bow their head?"

Veer gave a small nod. "Pretty much."

"It’s not like one person controls the whole world," Veer explained, his tone calm but informative. "The responsibilities are divided among the tribes. Some manage the government — making rules, appointing guards, that kind of thing. Others oversee crime, keeping the streets and people safe. Another tribe handles maintenance — making sure the pathways, the buildings, and public areas stay clean. One is responsible for health, another for managing travelers coming into the capital... it goes on like this. Each tribe has its own piece of the system."

Kaya nodded slowly, but her curiosity wasn’t satisfied. "Then why do these people take taxes in meat and salt? Why not vegetables or other green things?"

Veer stopped walking and looked at her, as if preparing for a detailed explanation. "Alright, listen carefully. In this Council of claws ..Fifteen," he said, counting on his fingers, "nine tribes are carnivorous. Three are omnivorous, and only three is herbivorous. So when most of the stall owners or shopkeepers pay taxes, they give meat or salt. Why meat? Because they can trade it later with the council for vegetables or other goods. For example, twenty grams of meat can get them about ten kilograms of veggies."

Kaya’s eyes widened slightly. "So... meat is more valuable than vegetables?"

Veer nodded. "Exactly. Vegetables grow everywhere in the wild, so they’re easy to find. But meat? Hunting depends on the season, the weather, and skill. It’s harder to get, so it’s considered a more valuable resource. That’s why the capital values meat more than green veggies."

Hearing that, Kaya nodded thoughtfully. Then she sighed, feeling a bit helpless at the answer. A question had been running through her mind.

"Veer?" she asked, her voice quiet but serious.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he replied, glancing at her.

"You... your brother told me last time, that there aren’t many valuable books or sources of information here in this world. Is that true?"

Veer paused for a moment, his expression softening. "Yes. There really aren’t many, and the few that exist are quite rare. But... if you want, I can get them for you."

Kaya shook her head slightly, her curiosity still pressing. "No, I don’t want the book itself. I just want to know... who wrote it. Surely there must be an author, right? Someone who gave you this knowledge?"

Hearing that, Kaya stayed quiet for a moment, staring into Veer’s eyes, trying to read him. On the other hand, Cutie had completely engrossed himself in eating, pretending he wasn’t listening at all.

Veer sighed helplessly and said, "Sweetheart, these books... they’re written by tribes that are very old, who have lived for a long, long time."

Kaya blinked, surprised. What type of tribes write books? What kind of beastmen have the patience for this?

Veer paused, clearly weighing his words. After a moment, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, "You see... tribes like the Snake Tribe, the Turtle Tribe, and a few others. But most of the books come from the Turtle Tribe and the Snake Tribe—they live for a very long time, so they’ve had the time to record everything."

Hearing that, Kaya stayed quiet for a moment, staring into Veer’s eyes, trying to read him. On the other hand, Cutie had completely engrossed himself in eating, pretending he wasn’t listening at all.

Veer sighed helplessly and said, "Sweetheart, these books... they’re written by tribes that are very old, who have lived for a long, long time."

Kaya blinked, surprised. What type of tribes write books? What kind of beastmen have the patience for this?

Veer paused, clearly weighing his words. After a moment, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, "You see... tribes like the Snake Tribe, the Turtle Tribe, and a few others. But most of the books come from the Turtle Tribe and the Snake Tribe—they live for a very long time, so they’ve had the time to record everything."