The heavily armed soldiers carefully approach, immediately noticing the giant beaver corpses in front of them.
Looking shocked, they then turn their attention to Auren and Vanessa, not looking too alarmed, their rifles lowered.
I guess since only Hollow Blade members are present here, they are not too wary of us. Good, it looks like they know to use their heads.
"Vice-Leader Auren," one man says, stepping forward. "I'm Squad 17 Leader Daniel. Dr. Bafu reported trouble and loud animal noises. Since you disappeared, we expected you to be here and came to back you up, but it looks like you have things under control."
With astonished faces, the soldiers inspect the monstrous beaver corpses in front of them, briefly exchanging looks as if trying to confirm they're seeing this correctly.
"We have encountered these things before," the squad leader explains. "They live in the nearby swamps, ponds, lakes, and creeks. Their hides are so thick that normal bullets barely deal any damage. It's incredible that you managed to take down these beasts. Do you require help? Is everything alright?"
"Heh, if we were injured, I think I would be the best person to call, don't you think?" Auren asks him. "Also, it wasn't me who did most of the work, so don't assume too much."
"Indeed, Vice-Leader. I'm sorry," the squad leader replies, then turns to Vanessa. "I'm impressed. You must be a very skilled Hunter to take down these things unarmed."
"Hehe," Vanessa says, smiling brightly. "I'm indeed a once-in-a-billion prodigy—however, this wasn't too much."
So simple....
"Everything is alright. Thank you for responding so quickly," Auren says. "You're doing a great job—only needing a couple of minutes to arrive. That's commendable." He gestures towards the bodies with his chin. "Can you and your men organise the transport? These corpses seem valuable to me, and I also have a friend who would like to analyse them."
"Of course, sir," the squad leader replies. "We'll take them to our warehouse. You and your acquaintances have unrestricted access." He speaks with clear admiration now, his eyes almost sparkling. "Elder Kirda has already informed everyone about you through the speakers. You're our hero, Vice-Leader. You don't know how happy people are about your visit. The Vice-Leader is personally working on the front lines—just that alone is a huge motivation for everyone."
He leans in slightly, lowering his voice as if passing on a rumour. "I also heard that some of the sick people have magically returned, and that raised morale by a lot. So it's not too surprising to see you closeby from the shacks where these people were being treated. We'll get to work immediately. If you need help, approach anyone. We're all at your service."
"Good," Auren replies, pleased with the soldier's attitude. "Let's get back to work, Vanessa."
"Work? We're not going home?" Vanessa asks, looking tired now that the rush of battle is over.
"This was supposed to be a break," Auren reminds her. "We have patients waiting for us."
Vanessa sighs, leaning on Auren and grabbing him tightly. "Fine.... drag me there, will you?"
Doing as told, Auren steps forward, with Vanessa literally being dragged along behind him, her boots creating a small trail in the forest floor.
"Meanie..." she complains. "Couldn't you be gentler?"
"You told me to drag you. I'm not here to play games," Auren states, not amused.
"Carry me... I'm really out of Aura... I can barely walk," she begs, voice dropping into something more pitiful.
Glancing back at her, Auren uses Gyo and examines her.
For once, she's not making things up. She's exaggerating and acting like a lazy dog, but it's true that her stupid Hatsu wasted almost all of her Aura.
Finally, with a little reluctance, Auren turns around. Vanessa stares at him, her eyes growing soft like a puppy dog.
"Fine... let this be a lesson in controlling your Hatsu. If you didn't have me with you, you could have died," Auren explains softly.
"But I had you with me," she counters, sheepishly grinning. "You'll take care of your big sister, won't you?"
"..." Auren grabs her and lifts her up, carrying her in his arms as he makes his way through the forest.
"Hehe," Vanessa grins, relaxing in Auren's arms as if she's earned it.
"I'll drop you if you overdo it... Focus on your Zetsu and shut up," Auren warns her immediately.
Vanessa puffs in disagreement. "You buzzkill. You should be kinder to your older sister. Let me rest for a while."
She then uses Zetsu, her presence notably growing weaker.
Despite Auren slowing down a little so as not to disturb her, it still only takes a few minutes until they return back to the shacks near the edge of the forest.
"Should I drop you off at the airship, or do you want to stay?" Auren asks Vanessa, showing a hint of concern. "I heard people have really ruined themselves by overdrafting their Aura. Judging from my own experience, your case isn't that bad, but you clearly overdid it."
"I'm fine," Vanessa says, yawning. "Just let me sit inside those shacks. They have beds and chairs. I'll rest while you work."
Two shacks remaining... diseases are covered, so what's actually left? These injuries qualify as serious enough that the people inside have been isolated from the public to prevent panic or a loss of morale. Clearly, their injuries are bad enough that they would demotivate everyone who saw them.
Still carrying Vanessa, Auren enters one of the shacks without hesitation.
Inside, he sees some of the doctors and nurses he saw earlier, now free to help out at other places.
"Vice-Leader!" the nurse who begged Auren to focus on a particular patient earlier yells out, excitement in her voice.
"I heard there was an accident! I'm so glad you are safe... is your friend injured? Though with your ability, you should be able to heal her, right?"
"Don't worry about her," Auren says. "Please pull out a bed and let her rest. She's just tired. Since I'll be busy, she can just rest here."
"Of course," the nurse says, immediately rushing towards the back where the patients are resting. She grabs an empty bed with wheels under it and rolls it towards the front, placing it in the corner of the room.
"Thank you," Auren says, placing Vanessa onto it.
"I'll sleep a little," Vanessa says, already closing her eyes.
"Keep up Zetsu," Auren orders. "That's what we trained for. You should be able to do it in your sleep by now."
Receiving no reply from the now sleeping Vanessa, Auren begrudgingly walks away, watching her for a second longer. She is indeed keeping up, Zetsu, albeit in a sloppy form, with a little bit of Aura still leaking from her body.
Good enough... barely.
"Show me the patients," Auren says to the medical personnel.
"Gladly," one of the doctors says—an elderly man who looks old enough for retirement.
Auren eyes him carefully. "... Just out of interest. Why would someone like you join this expedition? You look fairly skilled and... experienced. This is certainly not an easy or enjoyable way to spend your retirement."
He nods. "Retirement? As long as I can think straight and stand, I won't retire. Retirement is a foreign concept where I am from." His voice is steady, almost stubborn. "As for why I'm here... I want my daughters and my grandchildren to live in a world without being surrounded by endless corruption and evil. I want them to have enough food on their tables that they can think of the future instead of survival. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'll do my part in creating a place where I can be sure my family is well taken care of, even after my passing."
"I... admire your confidence and your motivation. I'll do my best to work together with you to make that possible," Auren responds, a little taken aback by the man's idealism, and by his confidence in Hollow Blade.
How did the Hollow Blade cells and recruiters manage to pull in all these people? I haven't seen any truly desperate people or weirdos... these are all nice, hard-working people. More importantly, their morality is above reproach. Usually, desperate people are egoistic, only trying to survive and profit.
"You look confused," the elderly doctor notes with a smile. "2.5 million Jenny. That's the cost of the medication my granddaughter requires. Every month." His voice stays calm, but the number hangs heavy in the air. "Without anything in return, I've been offered the medication—enough for years. Such a thing would never happen in any country, under any government. Also, everyone in my family has found jobs, and everyone is treated with dignity."
"You... you are getting paid, right?" Auren asks. "Sorry. I've been busy, and I'm not actually aware of how things work."
"Of course we're getting paid," the man replies. "Everyone receives a daily wage of 1,000 to 2,000 Jenny based on their jobs. As well as food, clothing, shelter, medicine—really everything." He speaks as if he's listing the basics of life, one by one. "Most importantly, education, including... the hidden ability you yourself must be a master of. We don't know the details, but we've been told about supernatural powers, and everyone has received some meditation techniques. Skilled people who qualify and prove their dedication will be taught, especially younger people who show promise." He smiles faintly. "Though I've been told even an old rock like me can qualify."
"Wait... 1,000 Jenny? The max is a mere 2,000 Jenny? That's nothing...!" Auren notes, being honest and a little shocked.
A can of juice in Heaven's Arena costs around 150 Jenny. The maximum daily payment is barely enough to afford a dozen drinks. I've spent billions on Ben's Knives alone. I thought we had enough money? Do they have to be this stingy?
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