How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World-Chapter 484: Build-up (4)
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“…So Arwen, it’s best if you find your own style. If Hitler’s speech was a wave that swallowed everything, then you’re the quiet tide that gently covers all. Got it?”
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[Hmm… Got it. It’s a bit disappointing, but since it’s your advice, I’ll keep it in mind.]
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Arwen’s voice flowed out from the communication orb on the table. Perhaps due to the long distance, there was some static, but her sweet voice still came through clearly.
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A communication orb that allows two-way conversation even over long distances, as long as certain enchantments are applied. With special treatment, even long-range conversations are possible.
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Fwoosh—
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Eventually, the light from the orb gradually faded, and the communication ended. Once it was over, Cecily snapped her fingers and made the orb disappear.
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‘No matter how many times I see it, it’s amazing.’
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If you asked me how communication is possible without the invention of electromagnetism, I wouldn’t really know how to answer.
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I only know that it was originally invented by elves and that it uses the principle of ‘telepathy’.
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To the point that they can mathematically express fireballs falling from the sky. In terms of pure academics, they’re far more advanced than Earth.
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“Nuna, that communication orb is only given to national leaders, right?”
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“Yeah. And to properly use the orb, you need help from a mage. Since Queen Arwen and I are both excellent mages from the start, it’s fine for us.”
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“So it’s not something that can be distributed to the general public?”
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At my question, Cecily momentarily looked dumbfounded, then let out a chuckle. Then she gently tapped my forehead with her long index finger.
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“You… You’re doing this on purpose, right? Trying to subtly compare your world and this one.”
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“No, I’m seriously curious.”
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“For this to be distributed, every single person would have to be a mage. And I mean trained to the point that even elves or demons would recognize them as proper mages. There’s no way it could be provided to regular people.”
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Just like Cecily said, it’s not that scientists on Earth are stupid. Quite the opposite—in the eyes of people in this world, Earth’s scientists would seem like monsters.
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Even this orb that connects to Arwen uses the principle of telepathy and still needs a mage’s assistance.
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Meanwhile, on Earth—where there’s neither magic nor mana—humans invented the radio, walkie-talkie, television, computer, and finally the smartphone.
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Even with a solid academic foundation, there are plenty of cases where people here wouldn’t even know where to begin.
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“Every time I think about it, it’s amazing. What kind of geniuses did your world have to invent such impossible things? And yet you still can’t teleport.”
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“If a scientist heard that, they’d probably clutch their neck and collapse.”
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“Amazing things are amazing. It’s a world without magic or mana. I wonder what it’d feel like to live in a place like that.”
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“It might feel unfamiliar, but people are the same everywhere.”
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I meant that sincerely. Humanity is all about society and adaptation—after a bit of discomfort, I completely adjusted to this world.
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And I’ve come to realize one important truth: no matter where you’re born, what matters most is human relationships.
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Life’s inconveniences? You can adapt in about five years. It takes time, but even that becomes normal.
But relationships? That’s a different story. LongStringOfTextToSimulateLargeRandomDataSet123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Fortunately, I was reincarnated into a warm family, so there wasn’t much trouble there—but everything else was tricky.
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Culturally and in terms of common sense, there were just too many differences, so I kept my relationships minimal.
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Only recently have I really opened up—revealing my identity and attending social events. Before that, I just holed up and wrote.
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“Like the public execution earlier—society in general feels kind of stiff. Honestly, it might be more suffocating than here.”
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“Could be. There’s no magic over there, so it’s probably even more inconvenient. I’d rather just stay here and live with Isaac.”
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“……”
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As she said that, Cecily subtly clung to my arm. I could feel the soft pressure of her chest.
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I chuckled at her playfulness and silently stroked her horns. They had turned completely black after her estrus period had passed.
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“Hng.”
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When I gave her what’s considered the highest show of affection for a demon, Cecily let out a sultry little moan.
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And then, almost naturally, she placed her hand on my thigh. The sun was setting, and the evening was creeping in—it looked like she was getting in the mood.
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I gently took her hand resting on my thigh. Even if we didn’t go straight to the bed, I figured we could start building up the atmosphere.
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Mari didn’t seem like she planned to interfere either—she just pouted with a “hmph” and didn’t push Cecily away.
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Well, it’s not like she won’t be doing the same thing soon anyway.
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“Isaac.”
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“Yeah?”
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“We’ll make you happy. So much that you won’t even remember your past life.”
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“…?”
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I blinked, not immediately understanding what she meant. I glanced at Cecily—she was just holding my hand with a gentle smile on her face.
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I wondered if I’d said something earlier that could’ve been misunderstood—but nothing came to mind.
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Maybe it was just the atmosphere, or the fact that all the women around me were romantically involved with me. I really couldn’t tell.
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‘What kind of misunderstanding is this now…? Ugh, forget it.’
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I was too tired to explain anymore. No point in ruining the mood, either.
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Instead, I figured it was better to say something rather than stay silent. I squeezed Cecily’s hand and quietly opened my mouth.
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“…Thank you.”
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Oops. Maybe I said that in too low a tone.
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As soon as I answered, Cecily flinched slightly. Then she gripped my hand even tighter.
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I wanted to explain, but if I said anything, I had a feeling the mood would get weird, so I kept my mouth shut.
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“…Are you happy?”
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A question that broke the long silence. I almost let out a hollow laugh.
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Compared to my past life, I’m so happy that I sometimes wonder if this is all just a dream. And honestly, that scares me.
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What if I wake up and find myself completely alone? What if I’m isolated, cut off from everyone?
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‘Did they say I have a habit of clinging while I sleep?’
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According to the women I’ve slept with, I apparently always wrap my arms and legs around them once I’m in deep sleep.
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Even when they try to move away, I somehow stick right back to them. Maybe that’s deepened some of the misunderstandings too.
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‘But seriously, that’s just because I’m lonely.’
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It’s a sleeping habit I developed after my parents passed away and I started living alone.
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I could bear everything else—but loneliness was always the hardest.
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And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to meet with friends either. I could have, but I gave up.
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As for a girlfriend… well, you know how it is. She broke up with me while I was in the military.
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Objectively speaking, it was a pretty lonely life.
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It was a miracle I managed to write that novel at all. Even though I didn’t manage to finish it before ending up here.
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It probably ended up as a news headline like:
“A Lonely Death of a Man in His 20s. The Rising Trend Among Youth…” LongStringOfTextToSimulateLargeRandomDataSet123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
“Of course I’m happy. If I said otherwise, that would be a lie.”
So I answered honestly. There probably aren’t many people in this world happier than I am right now.
Cecily smiled at my candid answer, and so did Marie and Adelia, looking relieved.
I let out a small chuckle at their reactions. It’s not like I’m some fragile person on the verge of vanishing.
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Still, it means they genuinely care about me, so I suppose there’s no harm in enjoying it a little.
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“That’s a relief. If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell us right away. We’ll take care of it. Got it?”
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“No need to go that far. I’m not a kid.”
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“How old is our little Isaac again?”
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Wow. She’s really bringing age into this now? I stared blankly at Cecily, dumbfounded by her playful question.
She just smiled mischievously. Her crimson eyes folded gently, full of charm. LongStringOfTextToSimulateLargeRandomDataSet123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
In the end, I gave up. I shook my head in defeat.
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“Fine. But I really don’t have any complaints. I’m perfectly satisfied with how things are.”
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“Really?”
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“Yeah.”
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“Then…”
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Cecily trailed off as she slowly leaned closer to me. Her elegantly curved crimson eyes sparkled with mischief.
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Just as my arm ended up between her breasts, she whispered into my ear with a sultry voice.
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“We’ll make sure you’re even more satisfied.”
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Her whisper alone made my body flush with heat—but only for a moment. Mari and Adelia were already moving in on me.
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Mari started exploring my body with both hands, while Adelia hugged me from behind and did the same.
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They hadn’t even gone to the bathroom, yet as soon as Cecily gave a signal, they closed in.
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Though I was initially taken aback, I soon closed my eyes, giving in to the curious sensations spreading across my body.
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‘…This is getting ridiculous. Almost awe-inspiring.’
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Even a legendary soccer coach would applaud this level of build-up.
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★★★★★
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Volumes 7 and 8 of Blood and Steel stirred controversy for allegedly persecuting Jews, but it didn’t stop people from supporting Hitler.
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In fact, when the rearmament of the Rhineland—which had been forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles—took place, public enthusiasm only grew.
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What really mattered was that the Rhineland rearmament effectively turned the Treaty into scrap paper.
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At this point, it felt like Germany strengthening its military was only a matter of time.
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Most readers, upon realizing this, found another question surfacing:
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[It’s already a given that Hitler is going to start a war of conquest. That means we’ll be able to see the raw reality of the military.]
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[Zenon’s biological father is Baron Michelle, the famed “Red Lion.” If Zenon seeks his advice, things might work out.]
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[But military structure can’t possibly be the same when the culture and science are so different.]
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In other words, how will the military be portrayed?
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It’s unlikely to be a simple “this land was conquered” narrative—it’s more about intense depictions of battle.
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After all, even Hitler himself had once been a mere corporal—a Bohemian private.
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So naturally, military life would have to be described in detail.
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I deeply agreed with that sentiment. The world is entirely different—how could military life stay the same?
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To get to the point: daily life might be different, but the fundamentals remain.
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The military is a miracle-making institution—it can turn even geniuses into complete idiots.
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It’s riddled with absurdities that even senior officers don’t recognize, and these are passed down to create even more absurdity.
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“You want to know about my active duty days?”
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“Yes. But not about the battles—about daily life. Isn’t the military full of nonsense and absurdities?”
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“Hmm.”
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So I decided to ask my father directly. Time wasn’t an issue, and we had space—inviting him to the dorm wasn’t hard.
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Besides, Adelia’s training had been interrupted, so we had enough of an excuse.
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I wanted to invite Clark and Ariel too, but it would’ve gotten too cramped. And honestly, they seemed to be enjoying themselves elsewhere.
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Anyway, after hearing the question, my father looked at me curiously.
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“Is this because of what you asked earlier? The story about a soldier going missing while taking a dump, which started a war?”
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“That’s part of it, but there’ve been so many bizarre incidents. Even you thought it was ridiculous, right?”
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“I did at first. But the more I thought about it, if someone needed an excuse, then yeah, it might’ve happened. Of course, the commander would have to be an idiot.”
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“…Right.”
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That “idiot” would later become the commander of the Imphal campaign.
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Even during the Sino-Japanese War, he showed signs of being a disaster waiting to happen.
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“Anyway, the absurdities were one thing, but there were just so many lunatics too. I still wonder why I acted like that back then.”
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“Can you tell me some stories?”
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“It’s kind of embarrassing, so why don’t you go first? You were in the army too, weren’t you?”
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Wow, low blow. Still, I accepted and recalled my past.
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The army—a place I never want to return to. A place made famous for the saying: “I won’t even pee in that direction.”
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The memories have faded after more than 20 years, but ironically, the most vivid ones are all from my time in the military.
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For example…
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“Once, during patrol, a senior tried to hunt a bird by throwing a bayonet.”
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“Did he catch it?”
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Catch it? Yeah, right.
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“The bird flew away with the bayonet stuck in it. He ended up in military jail.”
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“Hahaha!”
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My father burst into hearty laughter.
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We hadn’t often shared stories on common topics, but now I could see how much he was enjoying this.
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Then he nodded and began telling his own story.
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“There were definitely a lot of idiots. Did I ever tell you this? In the northern region, if you dig just a little, you get this black liquid.”
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“Oh, yeah. I heard the savages use that stuff for fire attacks.”
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“Right. It burns easily enough to be used in firebombs. So one time, we tried to use it for fuel because supplies weren’t coming through, and winter was harsh.”
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And then—
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“We ended up pouring in too much of it, and it exploded. The entire base caught fire. It was a disaster. Fortunately, the savages didn’t attack, so the damage wasn’t too bad.”
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“Who did it?”
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“I did.”
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“…Wow.”
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All I could think was, “That’s military life for you.”
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“…People really are the same wherever you go. Got any more?”
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“Well, once we had a contest to see who could throw a rock the farthest. Ended up killing the enemy chief with it.”
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“…”
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Honestly… that one might be okay too.
★★★★★
