Here's the scene in your BN Settings with a smoother, more novel-like flow.
The wolf clan departed shortly after sunrise.
The camp that had sheltered them for days was reduced to little more than scorched earth and fading embers. Wolves moved quietly through the clearing, carrying supplies onto wooden carts while others helped the elderly and the wounded prepare for the journey ahead.
The attack had left its mark.
Several tents had been reduced to ash, and although the fires had long since been extinguished, the smell of smoke still lingered in the morning air.
No one complained.
No one questioned Kieran's decision.
The wolves simply packed what little they had left and followed their leader north.
At the front of the procession, Kieran walked in silence.
His sharp eyes scanned the forest ahead while his ears twitched at every unfamiliar sound. Even after the battle, he refused to lower his guard.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Leo casually slipped into stride beside him, his hands tucked behind his head as if they were taking a peaceful morning walk rather than fleeing through the wilderness.
For a while, he said nothing.
He simply looked ahead, matching Kieran's pace.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"So..."
Kieran didn't turn.
"What?"
Leo glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"I've been thinking."
"That alone worries me."
A grin tugged at Leo's lips.
"I'll pretend that was a compliment."
Kieran let out a quiet snort but kept walking.
The brief moment of humor faded as Leo's expression gradually became more serious.
"So, I think I've figured something out."
This time, Kieran looked at him.
Leo's gaze remained fixed on the path ahead.
"I don't think it's humans who are really hunting you."
Kieran's expression didn't change.
"Oh?"
Leo nodded.
"I think it's your own people."
Silence settled between them once again.
The only sounds were the crunch of boots against dirt and the creaking of wooden wheels behind them.
Several seconds passed before Kieran finally spoke.
"So what if it is?"
His answer was calm.
Almost indifferent.
Leo blinked.
"That's it?"
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know..." Leo scratched the back of his head. "Denial? Surprise? Maybe an angry speech?"
Kieran looked forward again.
"If you've already reached that conclusion, then you've probably figured out why as well."
Leo's smile faded.
"I have a few guesses."
"But guesses aren't enough."
He slowed his pace slightly before continuing.
"I need to know what I'm walking into."
Kieran remained silent.
Leo sighed.
"You know..."
He gestured between himself and Kieran.
"I'm kind of stuck in the middle of all this."
He pointed behind them.
"To humans, I'm traveling with wolves."
Then he pointed at Kieran.
"And to beastmen..."
He gave a helpless shrug.
"I'm still human."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"So whichever side loses their temper first..."
He pointed at himself.
"I'm probably the first one getting stabbed."
Kieran couldn't help letting out a quiet chuckle.
"You always find a way to make yourself sound pitiful."
Leo's smile lingered for a moment before fading.
"I prefer 'realistic.'"
Kieran let out a quiet breath, the corners of his lips twitching ever so slightly.
"So I've noticed."
Silence settled between them once more.
The wolf clan continued its march through the forest, the sound of footsteps and creaking carts blending with the rustling leaves above. Rays of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting shifting patterns across the narrow trail.
Leo glanced sideways at Kieran.
"So..."
"If it really is the beastmen behind all this..."
He folded his arms.
"Why?"
Kieran didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on the path ahead.
For a long moment, only the sound of the wind filled the silence.
Finally, he spoke.
"...It wasn't always like this."
Leo looked at him curiously but remained quiet, sensing Kieran wasn't finished.
"Our people once lived together."
"There were disagreements, rivalries... but they never became wars."
His voice was calm, almost nostalgic.
"The Beastmen Kingdom was ruled by King Regulus Valerius of the Lion Pride."
Leo nodded slowly, committing the name to memory.
"The lion king."
Kieran gave a small nod.
"My father..."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Fenris Grayfang."
"He was King Regulus's closest friend."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Your father was the king's best friend?"
"He was."
"And eventually..."
"He became the king's right hand."
Leo let out a quiet whistle.
"That's a pretty important position."
"It was."
Kieran's expression slowly hardened.
"But not everyone welcomed it."
Leo remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"There were four great families within the kingdom."
"The Valerius of the Lion Pride."
"The Tharion of the Tiger Clan."
"The Skycrest of the Eagle Clan."
"And my family..."
"The Grayfang."
Leo repeated the names under his breath.
"Valerius... Tharion... Skycrest... Grayfang..."
He gave a small nod.
"So those four families held the greatest influence."
"Yes."
"And for many years..."
"There was peace."
Leo looked ahead, his curiosity growing with every answer.
"So what changed?"
Kieran's eyes darkened slightly.
"The day my father became the king's right hand."
Leo frowned.
"That alone caused problems?"
"It wasn't the position."
"It was what he did after obtaining it."
Kieran slowed his pace ever so slightly.
"The very first proposal my father brought before the king..."
"...was to abolish slavery."
Leo frowned.
"Slavery?"
The single word left his mouth almost instinctively.
Kieran gave a slow nod without taking his eyes off the forest ahead.
"Yes."
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
The forest was quiet, save for the steady rhythm of footsteps and the occasional creak of the wooden carts rolling behind them. A cool breeze drifted between the trees, rustling the leaves overhead.
Leo folded his arms.
"I didn't expect that."
Kieran glanced at him briefly.
"Our world is different from yours."
"I figured."
Leo rubbed the back of his neck before looking back at him.
"So... who exactly were they enslaving?"
Kieran remained silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully.
"There is another race in our world."
Leo tilted his head.
"Another race?"
"They're called demi-humans."
The unfamiliar name made Leo blink.
"Demi-humans?"
Kieran nodded.
"They're a lesser race that shares the same origin as beastmen."
Leo's curiosity only deepened.
"The same origin?"
Kieran gave another small nod.
"They resemble us in many ways."
"But that's where most of the similarities end."
Leo glanced at him.
"What makes them different?"
Kieran's expression remained calm.
"They're weak."
His answer came without hesitation.
"Far weaker than beastmen."
He continued walking, his voice steady and matter-of-fact.
"The difference isn't small."
"They lack our strength."
"Our speed."
"Our instincts."
"And compared to us..."
He paused briefly.
"They have very little ability to defend themselves."
Leo looked ahead, quietly processing everything he was hearing.
"So they're..."
He searched for the right words.
"...an easy target."
Kieran didn't deny it.
"In nature..."
His golden eyes remained fixed on the trail stretching through the forest.
"Beastmen are usually the predators."
He let the words settle before continuing.
"And demi-humans..."
His voice remained calm.
"...are the prey."
Leo fell silent.
There wasn't a trace of hatred or pride in Kieran's voice.
He wasn't trying to justify it.
He wasn't trying to condemn it either.
He was simply explaining the way the world had been.
After walking several more steps, Leo finally spoke again.
"So..."
He looked at Kieran from the corner of his eye.
"Keeping demi-humans as slaves..."
He hesitated for a brief moment.
"...that was just... normal?"
Kieran slowly nodded.
"It was."
His answer was short.
Certain.
"And for generations..."
"No one questioned it."
Kieran's voice remained steady as he continued.
"Not everyone accepted my father's decision."
Leo glanced at him.
"The other great families?"
Kieran nodded.
"They opposed it from the very beginning."
He let out a quiet breath, his gaze fixed on the forest stretching endlessly ahead.
"They believed demi-humans were born to serve."
"That it was simply the natural order of the world."
Leo remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"They argued that demi-humans were too weak to survive on their own."
"They couldn't hunt like beastmen."
"They couldn't defend themselves against the dangers of the wild."
"They said freedom wouldn't save them."
"It would only get them killed."
Kieran's voice carried no emotion.
He was simply recounting the beliefs that had shaped the kingdom for generations.
"So, in their eyes..."
Leo spoke quietly.
"...keeping them as slaves wasn't cruelty."
Kieran gave a small nod.
"They believed they were protecting them."
"Providing them with food."
"Shelter."
"A purpose."
"They often said..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"'A demi-human without a master is already dead.'"
Leo frowned.
"That's one way to justify it."
"It was enough for them."
Kieran replied calmly.
"The Tharion Clan objected."
"The Skycrest Clan objected."
"And many of the other influential clans stood with them."
"They all urged King Regulus to reconsider."
Leo looked at him.
"But he didn't."
Kieran slowly shook his head.
"No."
"My father stood by his beliefs."
"And so did the King."
"Despite the objections..."
"King Regulus chose to support my father."
"He abolished slavery throughout the Beastmen Kingdom."
For a brief moment, Kieran fell silent.
The only sound between them was the steady march of the wolf clan through the forest.
Then his expression darkened.
"And that..."
He said quietly.
"...was when all hell broke loose."
Leo's smile had long since disappeared.
"What happened?"
Kieran's jaw tightened.
"Only a few weeks after slavery was abolished..."
"The King suddenly fell ill."
His footsteps slowed almost imperceptibly.
"One day he was perfectly healthy."
"The next..."
"He couldn't even leave his bed."
Leo frowned.
"No warning?"
Kieran shook his head.
"None."
"No wounds."
"No signs of poison."
"No disease that our healers could identify."
He stared silently at the path ahead.
"No one knew what had happened."
"And no one could explain why."
"But from that day onward..."
"The Beastmen Kingdom was never the same."