The next morning…
Lee Sole’shot taught me how to write my name and numbers.
Being able to learn such basic knowledge without arousing suspicion was a great help.
Come to think of it, everyone I met so far was basically a nice person.
While Mo Chuan had a scary body and wasn’t really good at talking, I was still able to communicate with him naturally.
One’day High is kind of a pervert, arrogant and has a unique sense of fashion. But for some strange reason, people didn’t seem bothered by it.
As for Lee Sole’shot, he is a weirdo but he’s a harmless weirdo.
Halfmoon Leak’age is actually more open than his wanderer image would suggest. Plus, he’s pretty knowledgeable.
Ethan and Breman weren’t very bureaucratic either for military officers.
As for Alvin, he’s the kind of side character you would find everywhere. There’s not much reason to fuss about it.
All in all, I’ve been pretty lucky with the people I met.
After breakfast, the soldiers got us to form up and collected our contracts.
Ethan: Is there anyone who haven’t submitted their contract? If you don’t get paid because of this, it’s your own fault.
Seeing Ethan supervise this process was slightly surprising. He even seems to be placing a great deal of importance on it.
Having finally learnt how to write my own name, I should have no problem with this contract.
However, just as that thought crossed my mind, he approached me and Mo Chuan.
Ethan: Seasonal wolf, Mo Chuan.
Mo Chuan:…Here.
Ethan took out another contract, presumably for Mo Chuan.
Ethan: Having given this matter some consideration, we’ve decided to add an additional clause in here, please have a look.
Ethan scribbled a line onto piece of paper before handing it over to Mo Chuan.
The last time I inspected my contract, I had cross referenced it with the contracts given to the others. While I was unable to read the words, I was still able to determine that the contract was similar to the one given to me.
Responsibility, duty, authority, payment etc. The basic stuff of an employment contract.
Having checked all these, Mo Chuan signed with his name and handed it back.
Ethan: You too, Di Qi Ju.
Di Qi Ju: …Huh?
Ethan: We need to modify your contract as well. Have a look.
Di Qi Ju: Oh…
As I accepted the contract, I stared blankly at the piece of paper in front of me. I didn’t understand it, but I still gave it a glance to act as if I could. As I did so, my heart pounded furiously.
What’s in it…what could possibly be in it!?
God damn you. I feel like cursing someone right now—oh wait, I just did.
Sigh…I must be the world’s first illiterate expert on reading books and taking examinations.
Di Qi Ju: Oh…alright.
Ethan: …..?
Having finished his task, Ethan left with a stack of papers in hand.
Di Qi Ju: Mo Chuan, what’s the clause they gave you?
Mo Chuan: It’s nothing much, just something about external replenishment.
Di Qi Ju:…..
Mo Chuan: What about yours?
Di Qi Ju:…something like that I guess.
Mo Chuan:…something like that?
Well, that wasn’t a helpful reference…
In the end I didn’t find out what was added into my contract, and with that, a new day of work began.
Unlike the other laborers, our team of five was led off to a different location by a uniformed soldier.
Being the self-proclaimed boss and leader of our group, One’day High walked in front of us as we made our way to the assignment.
If it’s possible…I want to request a change in leadership…I rather not have the street performer leading us…
One’day High: The soldier over there, can you tell us why were chosen?
One’day High: We just became a team yesterday and haven’t made any outstanding contribution.
Soldier guide: You sure ask a lot of questions…
Soldier guide: They probably realized you had a seasonal wolf in your team. Plus, we are lacking in manpower at the moment.
One’day High: Sigh—-I guess that’s really fortunate for us.
After walking about a hundred meters from our temporary supply road, we were assigned to garrison a line horizontal to the road.
While this was quite deep into the woods, the trees were sparsely packed so it wasn’t too dark in here; perfect for garrison duty.
We were to look out for medium and above sized creatures coming from the woods.
Our formation was a single file with each person being a hundred meters apart. While we couldn’t see each other, there was a tube connecting each of us to another party member. It was a capped tube which when opened allowed you to listen to anything the other party was saying.
Above the tube were several densely packed bars made of an unknown material which reminded me of police barricade tape. If any small animal tried to pass under these bars, it would trigger the bar and the metallic tube will emit a special sound.
If a large lifeform tried to cross this tube, the tube would be destroyed; instantly alerting us.
No matter what, the garrisons on both side of the tube would know if something dangerous crossed the warning line.
There were a total of four such tube sections assigned to us, and this was to be our mission for today: alerting the military of dangers.
A hundred meters behind us was the road set up by the expedition. A hundred meters to the sides were our companions. While it seemed like a decent formation, it wasn’t particularly reassuring either.
The order of positioning assigned to us by One’day High was Mo Chuan, Halfmoon Leak’age, One’day High, Di Qi Ju, Lee Sole’shot.
Mo Chuan:…..
Mo Chuan: What’s the reasoning behind this arrangement?
One’day High: As the person in charge here, I have to be in the middle.
I don’t remember when he became our leader but no one seemed to mind it, including me.
One’day High: Plus the outermost flanks were given to the ones who were the least likely to get into trouble.
Mo Chuan:…
Mo Chuan:……
I looked at the silent Mo Chuan and interjected.
Di Qi Ju: Then isn’t it alright if swapped with Halfmoon Leak’age?
Mo Chuan: —–!
One’day High: No way, you and Mo Chuan have to be separated. We need to give Mo Chuan a chance to interact with others.
Mo Chuan:…..
Ah, Mo Chuan’s face immediately fell, his tail shaking to show his frustration.
Even though his body was huge, he was still a sixteen year old teenager.
However, if I insisted on being by his side right now, it might not be a good thing for him.
Di Qi Ju: Alright. It’s a good thing for him to be able to talk others as well.
And so, everyone went to their respective locations.
Between the two ends of a couple of metallic tubes was a simple chair. On top of it was a simple firearms contraption, which reminded me of the gun held by the sentry I saw on the way into Honor.
It looked like a larger version of a revolver with its signature revolving chambers and trigger.
It’s probably meant to be used against the wild beasts.
Next to that contraption was a small blade. I inspected it and found it to be two to three times the size of a shaving blade.
This probably isn’t meant to hurt the wild beast…it’s probably meant to reflect the sunlight in order to deter them.
There was also a picture book on it. Inside it were pictures of the various wild life forms. These should the beasts we might encounter here.
Di Qi Ju: Hello, hello. Can you hear me?
One’day High: Ah, yes. Please continue.
Di Qi Ju: Oh, I was testing out the system. The sound seems to be clearer than expected.
Di Qi Ju: By the way, how do we use this weapon?
One’day High: Oh that? Insert a tranquilizer dart, spin the chamber and squeeze the trigger to fire the dart.
One’day High: The range is roughly ten meters and against creatures under half a ton, they should pass out in a minute.
Oh so it’s a tranquilizer gun…and not a firearm. It shouldn’t be too dangerous to use then. As long as one didn’t hit himself with the dart…
Di Qi Ju:……
As I thought about it, I discovered a potential danger.
While my wish ability prevented me from dying to external physical forces. However, this was never the main danger in the woods.
In a place like this, death by poisons would probably be the main danger.
In this sense, I’m the same as a normal person.
Taking advantage of the relative remoteness and quietness of my location. I quickly thought of a wish that would counter death by poisons.
Once I’m done, I should wish for it immediately! I don’t want to die in the woods!
……
……
One’day High: Hey, Little Ju–
One’day High: Hey, you there—-
One’day High:……
Halfmoon Leak’age: One’day High, what’s going on over there? I seem to hear you shouting.
One’day High: Ah, I was teaching Little Ju how to use the tranquilizer gun but he doesn’t seem to be responding.
Halfmoon Leak’age: If he’s not responding, he might be busy messing around with the gun.
One’day High: This…I guess he’s still a young kid after all.
Halfmoon Leak’age: Mo Chuan is the same age as him, why isn’t he responding to me.
One’day High: Haha, maybe seasonal wolves mature faster.
Halfmoon Leak’age: By the way, I have a situation to report.
One’day High: Hm? Don’t tell it’s a small matter like a snake or scorpion.
Halfmoon Leak’age: If only it was that innocuous…
Halfmoon Leak’age: You’ve looked at picture guide right? Do you know about this monster called “Bestial Wrath”?
One’day High: Give me a sec…
One’day High: Bestial wrath…Oh! Looks more like a pig to me.
Halfmoon Leak’age: Have a good look at its claws, unlike a pig’s hooves, it allows the bestial wrath to tunnel through the ground.
One’day High: Mhm, you seem to know a lot about this.
Halfmoon Leak’age: Actually…
Halfmoon Leak’age: I discovered some freshly dug soil ahead of me. It was a two meter wide hole and judging by the traces, it was probably the work of a bestial wrath…
One’day High:……
Halfmoon Leak’age: I’m not trying to scare you but I feel we should report this to the military right away.
One’day High:……
Halfmoon Leak’age: …One’day High?
Halfmoon Leak’age: What’s wrong??
One’day High: That…
One’day High: The tube on my right just gave a very conspicuous, downwards jerk…
Halfmoon Leak’age:—-!!!
Footnotes:
Credits:
Special thanks to 7STARDARK BLADE! The first ever patron of Catato Patch Translations.
