Muhso’s words were clear and made clearer by the way he said them. He might not have the full picture of what had happened. But he knew that the Lowat tribe was mistreating one of their young. That was enough for them to have earned the Ursa tribe’s dislike. That was also why Sosora had earned their support.
Basla didn’t know how to react after being so openly attacked by Muhso. He just crossed his arms and snorted as if he couldn’t understand the lengths the Ursa tribe and Muhso would go to just for sausage. He wasn’t sure what the Outsider had done to treat one of the Ursa tribe’s young with kindness and generosity, but it didn’t matter.
Muhso hadn’t given any details, and Basla wasn’t going to pry. It wasn’t worth the hassle.
Instead, he stewed in anger and frustration at how bad the day had gone.
"If I understand you correctly, Muhso, you’re saying that this sausage is enough for you to think of the Outsider as a return to the age of discovery rather than a source of danger?" Poia, the woman from the Orovir tribe, asked. The sausage was certainly a novelty.
But it wasn’t like the different tribes couldn’t come up with new things on their own. Was there a need to go this far for a sausage, even if it was from an Outsider who had helped one of their kids?
"No." Muhso shook his head.
"This sausage is just the first of many things to come. I’m sure of it. I haven’t seen it for myself, but I know a couple of you have. You can testify to what I’m about to say.
"The Outsider possesses a building whose structure is unfamiliar to any of us. He possesses trinkets and clothes that are nothing like the ones from the forest or even from the three countries around us."
Malak and Sosora nodded in agreement. All the tribes had different traditions and cultures, some more different than others. So, they hadn’t bothered Nick about it.
But his things differed from what they could find within or even outside the forest.
"Combined with the apparent fact that he is unfamiliar with the surrounding areas and countries, I think it’s safe to assume that he is from far away. That means he knows and brings things we have never heard of before. That includes the sausage, but I doubt that’s where it ends." Muhso made his argument before sitting down again. Anything he said now would be padding his point more than necessary.
The sausage was just the first of many things they could learn how to make from Nick, whether it be food or tools. He might be dangerous, but wasn’t that only because they didn’t understand him?
They didn’t understand how he was staying in the center of the forest without the monster kings so much as attacking him. It was something they might never get the answer to. But wasn’t it fine as long as they didn’t have to find out?
If it was because he was powerful, and they never confirmed it, wouldn’t that mean that he never wielded his power in their presence or against them? Wasn’t that a good thing, then?
What if, on top of that, they could learn how to make things other than sausage? What if they could learn how to make things from the same place as sausage?
The Outsider wasn’t just a source of danger. He was a bundle of potential.
Muhso had a point. They could discover a lot from interacting with the Outsider.
The sausage had swayed many hearts. Muhso’s speech had helped as well. It had made everyone remember that the clothes they wore, the table and chairs in the meeting hall, the meeting hall itself, their villages, and the food they ate.
They had a lot of it thanks to the humans of the age of discovery. But the age of strife had set them back, and currently, they were in a time of stagnation. Some liked to call it peace.
Maybe some change, some revitalization of the forest, would be good for everyone.
For now, the majority of the representatives agreed to remove the ban on visiting the Outsider. However, the Outsider could still be dangerous, and none of them wanted to be the first to approach him since it might make their intentions obvious.
That meant Sosora and the Ursa tribe were in charge of relations with the Outsider and the middlemen between him and the forest. It worked well for everyone except the Lowat tribe.
After deciding that they would all be keeping a keen eye on the matter regarding the Outsider and a less keen eye on each other, the representatives returned to their tribes.
Sosora was about to be hauled off back to the Aer tribe by Tair when Muhso stopped them to talk to her. It wasn’t anything special. He just wanted to be invited to the next sausage party.
Sosora was more than willing to talk to Nick on his behalf since Lora, Kavam, and Kai wouldn’t. It was the least she could do for the help he had provided. But to him, it wasn’t even that much help. He had acted in his and his tribe’s best interests and in accordance with their morals. It just happened to align with what Sosora needed and wanted.
It was enough.
Muhso left with a spring in his step. He couldn’t wait for the faces on that sausage-hogging family when he also showed up to the sausage party.
Sosora turned around. She wanted to thank Monkey, as well, but he had already left.
She hung her head as Tair pulled her back home. Things had worked out well in the end, but it was not thanks to her.
The representatives of the different tribes scattered and returned to their homes, including Basla. He slammed the door to his hut shut. He was about to kick the stand next to the entrance in anger when he froze.
There was someone in his room.