The Undying Drama Chapter 18: Bedside Talk
At night,
The five tent mates laid in their sleeping bags, tightly packed like a bunch of sardines. It was late at night, but no one seemed to be even a tiny bit sleepy.
One'day High: Sigh...my money's spent. Not even 1 wish is left.
Lee Sole'shot: As expected of Boss High, the man from the country of math geniuses.
Di Qi Ju:...is that really something you should praise him for?
Lee Sole'shot: Of course. If it was me, I wouldn't have been able to control my lower half and would have ended up in debt.
Lee Sole'shot: After being berated, humiliated, beaten until my body is covered in wounds and forced to sign a contract of forced labor.
Di Qi Ju: Exactly what have you gone through in life…
Halfmoon Leak'age: We just set off and you are already wasting your energy on women, isn't that just foolish?
One'day High: No way, women are the spice of a man's life.
One'day High: By the way, Leak'age-chan.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Leak'age….chan?
One'day High: Judging from the way you wielded that hand knife tonight, you should be a pretty proficient fighter, right?
Halfmoon Leak'age:......
Halfmoon Leak'age: And what's so strange about that? Within these laborers, there should be a large number of proficient fighters as well.
Lee Sole'shot: Naturally. After all, everyone is here because they want to join the army, rise in the ranks and pave the way for a successful life.
Di Qi Ju: Hmm, what's up with that?
One'day High: Didn't you know Little Ju? If a foreigner wishes to join the country of Faith's army and expedition, they must serve a mandatory period of one year as a laborer.
One'day High: Even if you are a hero with over ten thousand wish points, you still won't be exempted from this rule.
Di Qi Ju: So that's why there are so many unique characters here.
Lee Sole'shot: Little Ju sure is a country bumpkin.
One'day High: By the way, since we are now part of a team together, do you mind if I inquire about everyone's abilities?
The tent immediately fell silent.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Talking about such a private matter is pretty unsettling.
Lee Sole'shot: That's right. It's even more unsettling than being stripped naked and bound in the streets while learning to crawl like a dog.
Di Qi Ju: I keep asking, exactly what kind of life did you lead Lee Sole'shot…
One'day High: If you guys aren't comfortable with it, I'll be the first to go.
One'day High: I! Am a man of the country of Math and as such have inherited their talent for calculation!
One'day High: As such, I've invested 40 points in an "ability to do calculations and to be calculative"!
Halfmoon Leak'age:......
Lee Sole'shot: As expected...of Boss High. So daring.
Lee Sole'shot: With such a broad wish ability, it must be really hard to control without a natural talent in that field. Furthermore, the benefits will be miniscule.
One'day High: But! I'm a genius! I even have a ton of wish points left unused!
Di Qi Ju: If only you weren't so boastful about.
Lee Sole'shot: As for me, an "ability to prevent myself from telling others when I've been bullied" 10 points; an "ability to not resist or get angry" 18 points…
Lee Sole'shot:...an "ability to resist attacks and recover from internal or external wounds" 20 points; an "ability to craft arrows" 10 points; an "ability to use to the bow" 32 points.
Lee Sole'shot: I have no more wish points left that were granted by God. Not even 1.
Di Qi Ju:......
Halfmoon Leak'age:......
One'day High: Umm...Mr. Shot.
Lee Sole'shot: Lee Sole'shot is fine.
One'day High: Lee Sole'shot...why did you just reveal everything to us?
Lee Sole'shot: That's because, if it's something that has to be said, it's natural for me to reveal everything.
Lee Sole'shot: Since it's you guys, it's fine.
Halfmoon Leak'age: There's no need to take your identity so lightly.
Di Qi Ju: And what the heck is an "ability to prevent myself from telling others when I've been bullied" and an "ability to not resist or get angry"!?
Lee Sole'shot: Those were wishes I was forced to make.
Lee Sole'shot: It can't be helped, after all no matter which circle I'm a part of, I'm always the one getting bullied.
Di Qi Ju: But weren't you pretty quick to point that arrow at Alvin the Muscle Brain's head?
Lee Sole'shot: That's because he's not a part of my social circle.
Lee Sole'shot: Why should I submit to people outside of my circle?
Di Qi Ju:...that's a pretty intriguing point of view.
Di Qi Ju: In the words...of a certain subspecies of humans, you are definitely a…"pure uke". [1] (The receiving end of a male homosexual relationship. PS. he's talking about fujoshi.)
Lee Sole'shot: Exactly what is that species?
Di Qi Ju: Er...just take it as I didn't say anything.
One'day High: Alright, now it's Leak'age-chan's turn.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Again with the "Leak'age-chan"...
Lee Sole'shot: So what wishes have you made Leak'age-chan?
Halfmoon Leak'age: ……
Halfmoon Leak'age: None.
One'day High: Hmm? After 20 years, you haven't made a single wish? You are pretty patient.
Halfmoon Leak'age: That's not it.
Halfmoon Leak'age: I...was born without wish points.
Halfmoon Leak'age: I wasn't favored by God so my natural wish points was 0.
Di Qi Ju:......
Lee Sole'shot:......
One'day High: Then...you should have been born with some gift that was stronger than a person who hadn't invested points into it. God wouldn't discriminate against a person to such an extent.
Halfmoon Leak'age: I...was born with a naturally superior night vision.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Even when the sun is totally dark in the middle of the night, I can still see clearly as day.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Other than that, I have no other specialities.
One'day High:......
One'day High: Ahh----Little Ju, what about you?
Di Qi Ju: Oh, me…
Di Qi Ju: I wished for an ability similar to Lee Sole'shot's ability to resist attacks. After all, the place I lived in was pretty remote so any external injuries might lead to death.
Lee Sole'shot: Oh! It's a pretty nifty ability isn't it? Before I made that wish, I would faint after only a little over 10 hits. However, after making that wish, it took nearly a thousand hits to knock me unconscious!
Di Qi Ju: How is that nifty…
One'day High: Is there anything else?
Di Qi Ju: And...because of the remoteness of my village, I had difficulty speaking. For example, my accent was really strong causing others to be unable to understand what I say. As such, I decided to spend 10 points on a communication ability.
One'day High:......
One'day High: Spending 10 points on a communication ability is just too extravagant! Do you think you are the Divine Hall's inquisitor or something??
Di Qi Ju: I had no choice...I didn't even have the chance to learn to write words.
Revealing that I'm illiterate shouldn't be a problem right now, right?
After all, even after Lee Sole'shot's colorful tales, no one pried any further. This means that avoiding another's questions is a pretty normal thing.
Besides when I decided to reveal this, my wish ability didn't warn me about any fatal threats.
Lee Sole'shot: I'm literate.
Di Qi Ju: Ah, can you teach me a few words?
Lee Sole'shot: Sure, what do you wish to learn?
Di Qi Ju: I would like to know how to write my name and how to write numbers.
Lee Sole'shot: Sure, after breakfast tomorrow I'll teach you. Please feel free to abuse me as you wish.
Di Qi Ju: That last part was unnecessary…
Since no one reacted strangely to my little fib, I guess I've passed this test.
Like this, my literacy standard will have caught up to the level of an ordinary illiterate guy...such a miserable starting point.
One'day High: Last we have…
One'day High: Mo Chuan?
Mo Chuan:...
Mo Chuan:......
Halfmoon Leak'age: He's already asleep.
One'day High: Huh...such a lone wolf. He didn't even join our bedside talk.
Lee Sole'shot: I think he's only willing to talk to Little Ju.
One'day High: Well, that won't do! Tomorrow, we must find a way to force him into our social group.
Lee Sole'shot: That's right. Even if you are the one getting ravaged, not entering a social circle while in the military isn't good.
Di Qi Ju: Don't just casually insert your masochistic lifestyle into our conversation…
Mo Chuan:...
Mo Chuan: I think you guys are misunderstanding something here---
Lee Sole'shot: ...AH!!
One'day High: ……!
Halfmoon Leak'age: ……
Mo Chuan's sudden interjection gave everyone a jump scare.
Mo Chuan:---I never intended to separate myself from the group, it's just that I was used to being isolated by others.
One'day High: That…
One'day High: You should at least join in our conversation.
Mo Chuan: You wish to spy on my wish abilities?
One'day High: Uh...no...I wouldn't dare….
Mo Chuan:...
Mo Chuan: Sigh…
Halfmoon Leak'age: Hey, that isn't the right attitude to take, One'day High.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Getting so easily frightened by another's words is a form of isolating others as well.
One'day High: Oh.
Lee Sole'shot: Actually if you look carefully, other than that tail growing out of Mo Chuan, he really isn't that different from Alvin.
Di Qi Ju: Please don't make such an unpleasant comparison.
Mo Chuan: There's a question I wish to ask first.
Di Qi Ju: Go ahead.
Mo Chuan: Lee Sole'shot...why is it that no matter where you go, people will always bully you?
One'day High:……
Halfmoon Leak'age:……
Ah, an arrow straight to his weak point. The kind of words that would immediately freeze the atmosphere.
Lee Sole'shot: Uh, this huh.
Lee Sole'shot: It's because my words usually piss people off so they usually bully me.
Lee Sole'shot: Acid tongue...it was one of the gifts bestowed onto me by God.
Di Qi Ju:...I seemed to have understood something from that.
One'day High: Mhm...a tongue that's so acidic, it won't even show itself any mercy.
Lee Sole'shot: I wanted to ask as well, Mo Chuan why are you able to be friends with Little Ju?
Mo Chuan:...
Mo Chuan: After a whole year in human society, he was the first one to talk to me in such an unguarded and unreserved manner.
One'day High: Oh hoh, so daring.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Bold…
Lee Sole'shot: So it's a coincidental meeting between a suicidal kid and a gullible little seasonal wolf.
One'day High: Lee Sole'shot...do you want to be bullied in this social circle as well?
Lee Sole'shot: Er...no... it's just my brain seems to have commandeered my mouth without my knowledge…
Mo Chuan: Oh that's right. I have something for you One'day High. I received it while you guys were showering.
The Mo Chuan who was sleeping on the left most side of the tent passed a piece of paper over to the right most side where One'day High was sleeping.
While this paper did pass through my hands, I was still illiterate so I still had to wait for One'day High to spill the beans.
One'day High:……
One'day High: Great news, my dear comrades.
Lee Sole'shot: What is it?
Halfmoon Leak'age: If it's "great news", it can only mean one thing.
Halfmoon Leak'age: Even though it's inevitable, I didn't expect it to arrive so soon.
Di Qi Ju:...??
One'day High: Tomorrow, we no longer have to perform hard labor like moving stuff around.
One'day High: We have to join the soldiers in "garrison" duty!
Footnotes:
Credits:
Special thanks to 7STARDARK BLADE! The first ever patron of Catato Patch Translations.