After passing through a baptism of stares, I was finally brought to the resting room where an officer awaited me.
Ethan: Sir… what’s the matter?
Breman: I should be the one asking you that question, Ethan. The only laborer who knew that we encounter a bestial wrath was Alvin, right?
Ethan:…!?
Upon hearing the name Alvin, Ethan’s face immediately fell.
Breman: According to my knowledge, that beast was chased away to the outer perimeters by the scouts.
Breman: The person who was in charge of sending supplies to those scouts was Alvin. Other than him, there’s no one else who knew of this.
Breman: Your little brother, Alvin…his wish ability was able to attract beasts and he even had a precedent of doing so.
Ethan: Sir…
Breman: I won’t pursue this matter without conclusive proof, but he’s aware of this fact as well and that’s why he continues to do so.
Ethan: Sir, I’ll discipline him after this.
Breman: Alright, then this matter is settled.
Ethan: Yes sir. Then…
Breman: Mhm?
Ethan: Why did you bring Di Qi Ju over?
Di Qi Ju:……
I wanted to know why I was brought over as well.
Along the way, all he told me was that we were going to have a chat in the resting room. I still didn’t know what he was planning. Did it have something to do with my testimony? I guess it was suspicious. The biggest hole in my story was probably the period before Lee Sole’shot saved me.
Sigh…I should have prepared a better story. But…
Breman: You may leave, Ethan.
Ethan: ……
Breman: What’s the matter? Are you worried that he might be a threat to me?
Ethan: No…I understand.
And so, there was only the two of us left in this simple wooden hut.
Breman: Di Qi Ju.
Di Qi Ju: ……Yes
Breman: Can you tell me the truth now?
Di Qi Ju: Huh…truth?
Breman dropped the officer attitude and put on a stunning display of elegance.
As I looked at his overly beautiful face, I was suddenly struck with a sense of nervousness.
Hmm? Why am I getting nervous about being alone with a guy?
Breman: When did you offend Alvin?
Di Qi Ju: …Oh, err. Last night…we became acquainted with him.
Breman: And then got into a scuffle because of his drunken behavior?
Di Qi Ju: Mhm…
Breman: Haha, it’s a common thing. If it wasn’t for that fellow’s love of alcohol and his subsequent misbehavior, he would’ve been a full fledged member of the expedition by now.
Di Qi Ju: Oh, is that so…
Breman: In terms of combat strength, he is probably around the same level as Ethan. Sigh, alcohol is truly a horrid thing.
Di Qi Ju: Mhm. So true.
Breman: By the way, how did you win in a head-on fight against the bestial wrath.
Di Qi Ju: Oh that, all I did was—-
Di Qi Ju:……
Before I knew it, I was drawn into his pace and almost spilled the beans.
Breman: What was the wish you made at that time?
Di Qi Ju: …
Di Qi Ju: ……
Di Qi Ju: Why…
Breman: “Why do I know of this?”
Breman: It was probably last year that I had the fortune of being allowed into the middle ring to perform a sacred rite and thus gained more wish points.
Breman: At that time, the clergyman allowed me to make a forbidden wish
Di Qi Ju: A forbidden wish?
Breman: The god-given wish points are able to fulfill any kind of wish. But to the Divine Hall, making “a wish related to wish points” without their permission was an affront to God.
Breman: The Divine Hall doesn’t allow people to make any wish regarding an ability related to wish points. For example, peeking at a person’s wish ability, points or stealing a person’s wish points.
Breman: As for me, I had the fortune of being able to wish for a 1 point ability of this kind while under the supervision of an inquisitor.
Breman: An “ability to know about the changes in a person’s wish points”.
Di Qi Ju:……
Breman: Di Qi Ju, I was born with a photographic memory so I clearly remember the scene where we first met.
Breman: My wish ability tells me that your current amount of wish points is different from your wish points then.
Di Qi Ju: ……
Breman: Ah? Don’t be afraid. Relax. If this is enough to scare you, won’t you be scared to death by my other abilities.
Di Qi Ju: …those words are scary enough.
Breman: It’s not hard to guess that you were ambushed while making a wish.
Breman: With the ruckus made by them tunneling, most people would have ran away long ago.
Breman: Despite their vicious attacks, their speed is surprisingly slow.
Breman: …the intention was probably just to scare you, but it ended up like this
Di Qi Ju: I…
Breman: Ah, it’s fine if you don’t wish to tell me.
Breman: But your body…
Breman reached out with both of his hands and rubbed my shoulders as if he was checking for something.
Next was my arms, my chest, my abdomen…just like a scanner.
As if bathing in the wilds with a bunch of men wasn’t bad enough, I’m now getting molested by a gigolo who was roughly my age…
What’s worse was that I didn’t find it disgusting!
Perhaps I’m the one that is in the wrong!!
Di Qi Ju: Hey…
Breman: Let me guess… what kind of ability can do this?
Breman: Body strength? No…without a hundred points, this wouldn’t be possible.
Breman: Luck? Luck wouldn’t allow you to lift that box.
Breman: No, it must have something to do with power.
As he said this, his prying actions reached down to my waist and onto my thighs.
Being touched on my thighs by another man squatting on the floor was the last straw! The last straw!!
Di Qi Ju: Hey…
Breman: Di Qi Ju, did you know that Ethan found that the bestial wrath had suffered severe internal injuries to its organs and bones.
Breman: Even without Lee Sole’shot’s arrow to the brain, it would’ve died from the injuries in its chest.
Breman: Judging from the wetness of your tattered clothes, this was probably what happened——-
Breman: ———–You were ambushed while making a wish and got clawed on the left chest, bitten on the head. You broke free by injuring its chest at which point Lee Sole’shot came and shot it to death.
Breman: Am I right?
Di Qi Ju:……
I have no counter argument. Under his withering logic, I had no rebuttal.
His assessment of me had reached this far?
Breman: To be able to do this, your abilities and body have already surpassed any of my subordinates.
Breman: At the very least, none of my troops are able to survive being bitten on the head by a bestial wrath and even breaking free from it.
Breman: So…Di Qi Ju,
Breman lifted his head and stared at me with a serious gaze in his eyes.
Breman: What are you?
Di Qi Ju: ……
Breman: I have a well-known ability called an “ability to predict any dangerous trap and its opposite”.
Di Qi Ju:…vice versa.
Breman: It’s an essential ability for a commander, especially an expedition commander.
Breman: Ever since this expedition started, this ability has gone off an unprecedented amount of times…
Breman: So much so that…I’m no longer able to distinguish between a trap and the “opposite” situation.
That serious gaze in his eyes dimmed slightly at this, revealing a hint of fatigue.
Breman: I’ve already given you my honest opinion, Di Qi Ju.
Breman: I’m going to put you in a place where I can monitor you in order to test out my hypothesis.
Di Qi Ju: Test…what are you testing?
Breman: If you are a trap, the only option is to “remove” you.
Di Qi Ju:……
Di Qi Ju: If I’m not?
Breman: If it’s the opposite, I have to assign a fitting post for you.
Di Qi Ju: A fitting post?
Breman stood up as he said this and gave his outfit a quick look through before walking towards the exit, his head unturned.
Breman: The real pioneering is already happening in the frontlines. That place is fraught with dangers and the unknown. Unidentified lifeforms, environmental hazards and numerous treasures and opportunities.
Breman: Either way, go have a taste of what it means to explore.
Footnotes:
Credits:
Special thanks to 7STARDARK BLADE! The first ever patron of Catato Patch Translations.
