dmims Page 13
Page 13
"Woo..."
Xiao En let out a cute whimper, her face growing increasingly red, "To...to show...the...drum...it's too...too shameful..."
Payne looked completely unconcerned: "Is that what you're worried about? Pshaw! You're overthinking it. Your tail is a big, fluffy tuft, it'll definitely... cover it up perfectly."
"You can go and observe the other beast girls. Which of them... has it? No, there isn't."
"Making a small, inconspicuous hole in the pants increases breathability and comfort, so why not? Don't worry, Lacey is very skillful; there won't be any problem."
"Ugh..." Xiao En hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed softly, "Well... alright then..."
“Okay.” Payne looked pleased. “It’s settled then. Lacey, alter her pants when you get home tonight.”
Lacey rolled her eyes at him. "Okay."
Honestly, the master is so interested in the characteristics of every beast girl... and he can't resist anything fluffy...
As Lacey thought this, she scratched her ear and turned to look at her foxtail grass.
In comparison, I was actually the least furry one...
But despite the regret, there was nothing Lessie could do. She sighed softly, picked up her shovel, and prepared to continue her work.
But just as she was feeling lost and alone, she felt the sky gradually darkening.
She looked up and saw several unfamiliar soldiers standing on the top of the trench, holding guns and watching them silently.
Were those the soldiers who came this way earlier?
Not knowing what these people wanted to do, Lacey didn't dare to speak to them. She didn't even dare to look them in the eye, keeping her ears pressed tightly to her hair and her tail tucked between her legs, afraid that they would find some fault with her.
In contrast, Payne was much more audacious. He even dared to fall directly onto the other man's feet while shoveling dirt, and shamelessly said, "Oh dear, brother, I'm sorry, I didn't see you... Where did you come from?"
“We’re from the 4th Company of the 317th Battalion.” A burly, bald man frowned and swung his foot. “We’re not here for anything, just to check on your work.”
That's practically saying the word "surveillance" outright.
Most people wouldn't be so wary of beast girls. Even the square-faced guy we encountered before only prevented beast girls from eating in the cafeteria.
These people... might have some grudge against the beast girl...
Thinking of this, Lacey's muscles tensed up involuntarily, and she subtly moved a little closer to the other three beast girls.
Payne, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, said in a casual tone, "Oh, it's our brother unit! You've worked hard. I'll keep an eye on things here, nothing will happen. Go and get some rest."
But the bald man showed no sign of backing down: "Don't worry about it, you guys keep doing your thing. We've always treated the beastmen this way."
"Oh...that must be quite a hassle." Payne nodded, then suddenly changed the subject, "By the way, do you know if they can get alcohol in the village next door?"
The bald man simply shrugged. "The villagers have all evacuated long ago. Now only a few elderly people who are unwilling to leave remain."
"Oh... okay. Do you know where I can get some alcohol?"
The soldiers exchanged glances, then the bald man asked calmly, "What do you have?"
"Oh dear, I don't have much supplies either, just a pack of cigarettes and a few pieces of chocolate..."
Payne shook his head and chuckled, then suddenly lowered his voice and said, "But... I have a good story here, would you like to hear it?"
The bald man grinned. "A story? That's interesting. Tell me first, and then I'll decide whether to give you the wine."
“You’ll definitely be interested~” Payne smiled confidently, “The protagonist of the story is Norma—that name sounds like a beautiful girl, right? She used to be a Marco orc in my squad…”
"Hehehe." The bald man's grin widened, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"why are you laughing?"
"Nothing, you continue."
Seeing that the other party concealed his disdain well, Payne had a sudden inspiration and decided to retreat in order to advance, asking, "What did you do before you joined the army?"
Chapter 19 XIX. A Decaying World
As one of Paul's top students, especially in chemistry, it's no surprise that Miller was tasked with monitoring B Company's gas bombs.
Today, as he was diligently digging a trench, he was suddenly called away by Company Commander Berynk to identify something. He knew then that the French had definitely given them a new task.
The destination was a grove of trees far from the trenches. When he arrived, several soldiers from B Company were cautiously forming a circle around him, covering their noses with their clothes.
Miller, who went to check, did not see a shell, but a small steel cylinder with a crack, and no other suspicious signs.
Miller didn't dare to be negligent. He immediately took out bottles, jars, and test strips from his bag and conducted a test on the air.
While he was rummaging through his pile of precious possessions, Company Commander Berynk also said:
"I asked the brother units stationed here, and they said this place was occupied by the French two months ago. Maybe the French were still conducting some kind of experiment before they left..."
“It’s more likely a trap,” the other person said in a muffled voice.
The second speaker was named Carter, a somewhat overweight middle-aged man in his forties, making him the oldest soldier in B Company. He had reportedly served for nearly ten years and possessed an astonishing intuition for changes in battlefield situations; everyone trusted him implicitly.
Ever since the company arrived here, he had been looking worried, which is why everyone made Miller go to the trouble of making a trip after discovering the gas cylinder.
Miller's trip proved worthwhile; as he watched the changes on the test strip, he frowned, "This is strange..."
Everyone immediately crowded around, asking, "What do you mean?"
“It’s probably poison gas, but it’s a type I’ve never seen before…” Miller scratched his head. “The reaction is very weak, but there are definitely small amounts left…”
Even Company Commander Belyink couldn't stay calm now. "You guys stay away and protect the scene. I'll go find Payne and see if his orcs can track them down. Maybe there are other gas canisters nearby... Never mind, I'll stay here myself. Miller, you go find Payne."
"clear."
Miller packed up his bottles and jars, muttered something, and left. "Paine won't be able to sleep now..."
……
When Miller found Payne, he immediately noticed that Payne was hanging out with several men from the 4th Company.
Miller's heart skipped a beat. He remembered that the company commander had mentioned that the soldiers of the 4th Company didn't like orcs. He wondered if Miller had gotten into a conflict with someone, since they would have to work together afterward.
When he got there, he found that the two groups were not only not in conflict, but were actually sitting together chatting peacefully.
Clearly, the 4th Company was very satisfied with the content of their conversation. When they saw that Miller had something to discuss with Payne, they even said goodbye to Payne with their arms around each other's shoulders, saying that they would bring the wine next time and have a proper chat.
Miller marveled at the sight and asked, "What were you talking about with them?"
Payne answered truthfully, "It was nothing, just telling Norma's story before she joined the army."
Miller blinked, then suddenly raised his voice: "You sneaked out, didn't you?! You updated the story but didn't tell me first!! I even traded two cigarettes for your story!!..."
Payne was a little confused: "What? Wasn't this story already over?"
Miller gestured as he spoke, “I remember you said Norma joined the army because she had nothing to eat and went to town to beg, where she was captured by the army;
Norma had nothing to eat because the little maid who was responsible for taking care of her starved to death;
“The maid Norma starved to death because her mother starved to death and no one was there to feed her.”
"Her mother starved to death because her father starved to death, and there was no one to farm the land."
"Her father starved to death because the plantation owner who employed him died, and the relatives' division of the inheritance led to infighting within the family. In the chaos, he was driven out of the plantation, so he had no land to farm..."
Seeing that Miller had paused here, Payne asked, "So? Is there anything I haven't explained clearly?"
He stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and slowly said:
"It seems the story is indeed over... but I still have a question—how did the manor owner die?"
"Oh, fatty liver."
"
Hey~
The host's depressing jokes were detected.
Depression level: 100%
Funny level: 100%
Freshness: 100%
Note: Meets the reward distribution criteria
Points increased by 300
"
Miller remained staring at him without saying a word until the joke system finished broadcasting such a long string of content.
"Is there a problem?" Payne blinked innocently.
Miller opened his mouth, but ultimately said, "I won't give you another cigarette for such a simple answer."
Payne chuckled and patted him on the back. "Haha, don't be nervous. Consider it my treat. So, what do you need me to do?"
“We found a punctured gas canister in the nearby grove, which appears to contain a brand new type of poison. We need Lacey's help to track it down.”
Payne's smile vanished immediately upon hearing this. "Can't I just use your test strip?"
"It probably won't work. The test strip's reaction is strange; there's a high chance it will miss the positive result..."
"You always make her do these kinds of tasks; the poison gas has already caused great damage to her health."
"But she's the only one here who can track that faint trace."
Payne didn't say anything more—he didn't want Lacey to carry out the mission, but he couldn't disobey orders.
In the end, Lacey stepped forward and said, "It's okay, let me go."
Payne ruffled her hair in annoyance. "Such an obedient, silly dog... Alright, let's go."
Miller: "Let's call the other orcs too."
Payne: "No need, I'll go with Lacey. I've already told Baldy that they won't send anyone to check on the orc forces anymore."
So, after telling the horse, the sheep, and the squirrel to keep digging trenches and not to run around, Payne and the dog followed Miller toward the grove.
Perhaps noticing Payne's somewhat gloomy expression, Lacey asked to lighten the mood, "Speaking of which, why were you able to get closer to Baldy and the others after telling them Norma's story?"
Payne quickly replied, “Because they are sharecroppers, just like the father of the little maid who took care of Norma. Miller also came from the countryside, so he was very interested in this story.”
"Oh..." Lacey nodded, seemingly understanding.
She felt she still had some questions, but she didn't know how to ask them—after all, she was just an illiterate canine beastman.