Reborn As A Beastman With A System

"Understood!"

Tyton and Cardia nodded with earnest respect.

Logan then presented a hefty space ring to Tyton, its weight significant in his palm. "This ring holds five thousand gold coins, ample funds to purchase raw materials several times over," he explained, his voice imbued with the gravity of their mission.

He continued to outline their expansion strategy. "Should you find yourselves short on labor, hire more hands. If space becomes an issue, consider acquiring nearby properties when finances permit. However, it's crucial we expand thoughtfully and sustainably."

"Furthermore, if other vintners express interest in collaborating, assess their proposals based on our current production capabilities. Above all, we must safeguard the interests of our existing partners."

Tyton and Cardia's expressions turned somber. The magnitude of responsibility seemed overwhelming. They secretly longed to return to the Silvermane Tribe with Logan, rather than shoulder these burdens.

"I understand your desire to return, but you are indispensable here," Logan acknowledged their silent plea. "Remain here for now. Should your hearts remain elsewhere, I'll find others to take your place on my next visit," he reassured them, patting their shoulders gently.

Logan had once envisioned Tyton as a cornerstone of their business operations, yet Tyton's aspirations lay on the battlefield, not in commerce.

"For now, you must stand as our bulwark here," Logan resignedly advised, his voice a mix of encouragement and necessity.

The needs of the Silver Mane Tribe were pressing, strong leadership was scarce, and talented individuals were even rarer.

Logan felt a familiar pang of frustration and melancholy at the thought.

Resigned yet committed, Tyton and Cardia nodded, their expressions tinged with hope that Logan would fulfill his promise.

Just then, Gava, the stalwart quilboar-man, approached with deference. "Master, the team is assembled and ready."

"Understood, thank you, Gava," Logan responded, steeling himself for the challenges ahead.

Logan nodded in acknowledgment yet remained in place, his gaze frequently shifting towards the path leading to their meeting spot. Jean, a latecomer, had yet to make her appearance.

"She always here early," Logan mused to himself, frustration evident in his tone. "But today, of all days, she's nowhere to be seen. It's nearly noon!"

He chuckled wryly, "That woman, always quick to come at the slightest leisure, yet when there's a task at hand, she's the last to arrive, likely detained by her endless primping."

Suddenly, the air filled with cries of astonishment, "A monster!"

"A monster from the skies!"

The commotion outside drew Logan swiftly to the doorway. beastmen and quilboars, normally fierce, now stood agape, their eyes skyward.

Joining the throng on the street, Logan looked up just in time to see an immense creature descending from the clouds.

Amidst the bustling crowd, he caught sight of Jean, triumphant atop the beast. This creature, colossal in size, was a curious blend of the fearsome and the fantastical,?a lion's head, insect-like limbs, bat wings, and a scorpion's tail, all adorned with golden fur and menacing black barbs.

"What in the world...?" Logan murmured, reaching for his device to look up the creature.

Before he could, a figure leapt from the beast and barreled into his arms. "Hey, I'm not late, am I?" Jean greeted him with a carefree smile, her embrace warm.

"You're just on time. Had you delayed any longer, I might have left," Logan retorted, a playful smirk on his face as he gently pinched Jean's cheek.

Turning his attention back to the extraordinary creature, he asked, "And what, pray tell, is this formidable creature you've brought?"

The beast turned its massive, yellow eyes toward him, its gaze as piercing as a lion's on the savannah with a scorpion like stinger hanging over her head.

Jean laughed lightly, patting the creature's side. "This is Airlan, a manticore. Quite the sight, isn't she?"

"Don't be afraid, Airlan is just a little girl; she's merely curious about you," Jean chuckled as she noticed Logan instinctively take a cautious step back.

"Curious? That's rich," Logan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "One sting from her, and you're either at death's door or losing half your life."

Logan had already familiarized himself with the creature known as a manticore through his system panel. It was a formidable beast of wind and poison, commonly utilized as aerial cavalry in the human empires. While its wind abilities were modest, its venom was lethally potent. Even though this particular manticore, Airlan, was not fully grown, her strength was already formidable.

A sting from her could prove catastrophic.

"Really, Jean, couldn't you have chosen a companion less lethal and unsightly?" Logan remarked with a grimace. "Everyone, keep your distance from Airlan; her venom is no trifling matter."

His warning prompted the surrounding wolfmen and quilboars, who had been curiously gawking at the creature, to hastily retreat several paces.

Jean huffed, clearly unamused by their reactions. "She's not as dangerous as you think. Plus, Airlan is quite beautiful in her own right!"

Logan ignored her defensive retort; now that Jean had finally arrived, it was time to move on.

Under the cover of night, Logan and his team, with Jean as their aerial scout, made their way safely to the Silver Mane Tribe, untroubled by bandits thanks to their formidable escort.

Upon their arrival, Logan was immediately greeted by his uncles Begon and Reynolds, who were eager to welcome him at the tribe's entrance.

Despite the lateness of the hour and their uncles' apparent eagerness to converse, Logan postponed any lengthy discussions. "We'll cover everything at the meeting in the lobby tomorrow morning," he declared, ushering Jean towards his home, signaling a restful end to their journey.

In the cozy main room of the Logan household, the fire crackled merrily as the family gathered around its warm glow, their laughter mingling with the occasional pop and hiss of the flames.

"Mom, my teeth are stuck together!" exclaimed Kevin, the second youngest, as he approached their wolf mother with his teeth clenched, struggling to separate them.

With a playful shove, the wolf mother nudged Kevin away, her eyes momentarily catching Jean's, filled with a mix of amusement and fondness.

Logan couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's dismayed expression.

Despite the lingering awkwardness between him and the wolf mother, Logan felt a surge of warmth at this display of maternal affection. He watched as she regarded Jean with the tender scrutiny of a mother assessing her potential daughter-in-law.

It was a look he recognized well, imbued with the essence of familial and maternal love, reminiscent of past lifetimes.

"Brother, my teeth are stuck too!" Ginny, his younger sister, chimed in from his lap, opening her mouth wide to show the dilemma she faced.

"You little mischief-maker, didn't I tell you not to bite into the maltose candy?" Logan teased, pinching her cheek affectionately as he gently helped dislodge her teeth.

Meanwhile, Jean had seamlessly integrated into the family circle, engaging in lively conversation with Logan' mother. Their chatter was filled with an array of topics, eliciting peals of laughter from both women.

As the night drew on, the warmth of the room and the late hour took their toll. Logan felt his eyelids grow heavy as Ginny and his two younger brothers drifted off to sleep in his arms. Carefully, he tucked the three little ones into bed, ensuring they were comfortable before retreating to his own room, succumbing to the pull of sleep after a heartwarming family evening.

Early morning!

Having stayed up late the previous night, Logan found himself waking later than usual. After freshening up, he discovered that only his little brother, Kevin, was still at home rest were nowhere to be seen.

"Mom took sister Jean and Ginny to visit others at the second mother's house," Kevin informed him.

Logan, spooning porridge into his mouth, paused briefly before nodding in understanding. "It makes sense. Other mothers are also elders to Jean, and it's proper for her to pay them a visit."

Curious about family affairs, he looked over at Kevin and asked, "How have the others been lately?"

"I haven't been over there myself, so I'm not entirely sure. But I know mom visited them after Roy fell ill last week. It seems that incident brought mom and others closer, they've been getting along much better," Kevin explained.

"Just two days ago, second mother brought Roy and the others over to our place," he added.

Logan, caught off-guard, responded with concern, "Roy was sick? Is she alright now?"

Roy, the daughter of his second mother and Logan' youngest sister, was only six years old.

"Yeah, she's better now," Kevin reassured him. "She was just a bit weak from not eating well. Upon hearing this, our uncle begon caught a couple of dragon rats from the animal pen and gave them to second mother to help boost Roy's health."

Hearing this, Logan let out a relieved sigh, "Oh, thats good." His worry for his little sister eased as he returned to his breakfast, feeling a bit more at peace with the family's well-being.