Beastmen Love-Chapter 146: Dangerous Drink

Everyone who knows Astri longer knows that smile very well. Astri is good at making people expose their true faces, motives, and even thoughts about something.

"I’m just curious. This medicine sounds good, right?" She says.

"Yes, dear. It is delicious! The taste is sweet, and you feel your body getting warmer. People always say they enjoy drinking it." He tries to divert the situation.

"Oh really? How many people can drink it?" She asks.

"As much as you want. However, you might wake up with a heavy head when you drink too much. You can drink a little bit more to feel better, or you can drink less before sleeping."

Astri asks for the cup from Claud and then smells it. She’s quite sure it is wine, the smell is very similar to the sweet wine or liquor.

"Taste it. You will love it." Falazar motions for her, knowing that if a female says she likes it they will be forced to buy it.

Claud and Kangki were watching her mind having memories of drunk people where she used to work. They’re thinking of a way to deny such a dangerous drink.

Wayde, Tyr, and Xzan arrive. They had to check on other things before coming to them. Claud explains to them what Falazar claims the medicine to be. Astri had put the cup down and looked thoughtful.

"All leaders are here. We will first discuss together if we will buy your product or not. Can you wait outside, please?" Lee asks Falazar.

"Sure. As you wish." Falazar nods, and walks outside with his guards.

"So? What do you think about this, Claud?" Lee asks.

"There’s no medicine that doesn’t have side effects. That I can assure you." Claud answers.

Shankin nods agreeing.

"But you think that this medicine can be helpful at all?" Wayde asks.

Claud sighs and looks at Astri.

"Is this something you already saw Astri?" Shung asks.

"Very much, yes." She answers.

"So? Is it good? This looks too good to be true." Xzan asks.

"This is not a medicine. This is an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol is something that affects someone’s mind and can make them behave like animals. He said that helps females get pregnant. That is not because it makes her more fertile, she’s just out of her mind and acts with primitive behavior, mating more and increasing the chances of getting pregnant." She explains.

"You saw this when you were a slave?" Shankin asks her.

"Several times. I used to work serving this kind of beverage for several years. However, it is not something evil entirely. Drinking a cup is not a problem, it actually helps with the blood circulation. The problem is that people never get only one cup. Even more when it’s sweet like this. When they less think they’re out of their minds and mating like common animals, not even remembering how it happened. And more, if a female keeps drinking this while pregnant, the chances of having cubs with problems are high. And the female might die in labor with the high bleeding, or the pressure of the heart. Males would fight much more for no reason. The worst part is the addiction. People get addicted to the point they could kill for having a single cup, because they miss the effects of it." Astri says, really having no good memories of the time she was a waitress.

"For me, it is decided. We won’t buy it. I don’t want people to be out of their minds. I want our people strong and healthy." Lee says.

"I agree." Shung nods. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"What is the worst-case scenario you saw?" Xzan asks Astri.

"Males raping a female. In other words, forcing to mate while she wasn’t entirely conscious about it. Mating like ferals. Males killed each other because they didn’t like the way the other looked. The worst case. However, I knew people who didn’t lose control and used the drink for relaxation. It is not entirely evil." She explains.

"Would you buy this?" Wayde asks.

"No. I wouldn’t. We can have the good parts of it with other healthier things, like teas, hot baths, good eating habits." She answers.

"I think that her experience is proof enough for me. It is not something that would help improve what we already have." Claud says.

"Then I also decide that we won’t buy it." Wayde votes.

"I believe that there are more bad sides than good sides. I vote for not buying. This will break the balance of the peace we built here." Tyr says.

"I agree. My vote is the same as yours." Xzan nods.

"May I give you a suggestion?" Astri asks.

"Of course, love." Lee affirms.

"Do not let them give it to the people around. Spread the word of the bad effects of it. They win more when they have people who will always buy from them. They know people will love it, but people are addicted and that’s why they will give free samples first to make people trust them. If people like this and they discover we didn’t want to buy it, they will be angry at us. Anticipate their move and spread those bad effects, and they won’t drink it and end up disturbing the balance." Astri says.

"That is true. We will do it now." Lee nods. "I’ll tell my guards

"Tyr, you come with me because we have things to do before we depart." Lee says and walks to Astri, then kisses her lips. "Be right back. You will cook today, right? I want you for dessert."

She shoves him away, rolling her eyes but smiling either way. She can’t deny she likes to be the dessert for any of her spouses. Xzan and Yank can’t stop their minds and imagine her cooking for them and being the dessert.

"You’re breaking the rules talking this way in front of others, chicken." Kangki says, holding his growl after realizing Xzan and Yank’s thoughts.

"It’s true. But I’ll be the one leaving tomorrow morning, so I can be forgiven." Lee speaks.

"I’ll be leaving too and I’m not breaking the rules, idiot." Tyr pushes Lee and kisses Astri too before leaving.

Shung calls Falazar inside again after they decide who will talk to him.

"Mister Falazar, your offer sounds interesting, but after analyzing better how our tribesmen are living we concluded that we’re not in need of this medicine. All leaders agreed that we must focus our expenses on building more walls around our area." Claud says with a convincing voice.

Falazar is taken by surprise.

"I understand. You don’t have to pay now, I can leave some pots expressing my goodwill." Falazar says.

That offer was proof of what Astri said, and that he wants them to get addicted first.

"That doesn’t mean we won’t pay you. We will pay for your visit. If you wish to leave the pots as a gift, we appreciate it." Claud says with a fake smile.

Falazar smiles victoriously and nods. The wine pots are brought inside, Shung pays the merchant and then asks Yank and Xzan to accompany them to leave the tribes for their next destination.

After Falazar left, Shung and Shankin brought the pots to be poured away on the feces carts.

"Lady Astri for sure had a hard life before arriving here." Shankin mentions while they’re walking back.

"She had. She says it was bad but it taught her many things." Shung says.

"That’s why she has more knowledge than others."

"Yes. We’re lucky to have her."

The notice of the wine and its bad effects were spread to the tribesmen as wildfire, warning them to never try it because the consequences are devastating, and since they do not wish to end the balance and peace they found, whoever becomes addicted by buying the wine on their own they will be expelled from the tribes.

People feared the effects more than had the curiosity to try the wine, so Astri’s plan worked.

Astri makes a lot of food that won’t spoil easily for Tyr and Lee, who leave in the next morning with several more soldiers to talk to the tribe that will be on the Monsters’ Hord’s way.

——

After Lee and Tyr left, she gives her classes as usual and then she goes take care of her plants. Xzan finds her working on some plants that she’s trying to make bonsais. She remembers she saw some in the human world, she wanted to try and every day she has to take a look on them and see if they’re fine and not dying.

"What are you doing?" Xzan asks.

"Gardening."

"Oh yes. I heard you love gardening. It is something very useful to learn."

"Might be. But I like to try new things. Not necessarily being useful. For example, those I’m raising, cutting and trimming to have the shapes of my cubs." She answers.

"Then why you do it?"

"To raise these it takes time, love, discipline, knowledge. When they’re old enough to understand it will represent my love for them. For me this is as important as creating something useful." She answers and smiles.

He smiles too and nods agreeing.