Chapter 33 - Cat Dog in Bootcamp

A week later

Moon POV

What with these human princesses? Every day they will run like a starving tiger chasing after its prey. They keep getting faster and faster and they even started to get close to me.

I can't let them overtake me, right? I hope master won't look down on me if they overtook me.

No no no, working for master Milo is a paradise for me and Night. I can't let new cubs easily overtake me. I must show master that we beastman races are a tough nut to crack.

I’ve asked Miss Jane about what those weird lights coming out of the princesses bodies when they are running are and she told me that it is a mana manipulation technique to strengthen the body.

In the case of the two ladies, the one with silver hair let out a bluish light while the blonde haired one let out a yellowish light. Miss Jane said that the color are influenced by their natural affinity

The bluish light is the lightning element and the yellowish light is the light element.

Miss Jane also add that as a combat operator, which is a fancy name Master Milo calls assassin (Master Milo don't want us to think that being an assassin is cool so he change the name around a bit), their ultimate goal is to be able to use mana to strengthen their body while hiding the eye catching outward appearance like how the two ladies did it.

I have also tested myself when I joined my Master’s army after being rescued from the bandits and it turns out that me and Night can not cast any magic at all like Miss Jane and Captain Leon. I am a little bit sad about being unable to cast any magic but just like what Miss Jane and Captain Leon showed us, magicless people will have their own ‘speciality’ in exchange for being one.

Miss Jane simply has super strength which doesn't match her slim stature and Captain Leon… well, he can cut magic with his giant sword to make the magic turn useless. It might also be because that giant sword also comes as a shield to protect Captain Leon from magic damage but I still feel awed every time I see Captain Leon practices countering magic.

Miss Jane then praised me for having perceptive eyes as being perceptive could help me survive better in dangerous situations.

I'm actually feeling ashamed to only ask now after a few days noticing and from feeling insecure because the new trainee is about to surpass me.

Hasn't my father taught me about it since I was young? As being a hunter is the most important job in my tribe, father has been guiding me slowly towards that path. I thought that I could manage and by becoming strong and reaching tier 1 knight early didn't really help me much in heeding my father's word. Only when I joined Milo's army to hunt did I finally realize that my father was right.

Now that I think about it, being an operator isn't that far different from being a hunter. I should master this path fast so that I can become a top class fighter, get money, and rescue everyone in the tribe.

Okay, I should keep my guard up. Even if working in the orphanage feels comfortable, I can't let myself get spoiled. Maybe I should go with Night sometimes to help the army members hunt monsters on the plains? But the army mostly uses ranged weapons and spears, I won't be able to fight much…

No, remember what father said Moon, scouting is also an important job in hunting, just like being an operator. In fact, even when father was weaker than Uncle Fang, who was Night’s father by the way, father is still the tribe leader because of his scouting skill.

But that is also the reason why the tribe got defeated by those mysterious attackers, we were too weak to repel them. I'm confused now. Which one is more important? Fighting skill or scouting skill? Uuu, my head is spinning. I better ask Miss Jane or Master Milo for guidance.

I just have to focus on training now. There will be sparring training after dinner tonight. Night will be joining so I don't have to be afraid of getting beaten up. At least sparring with Night is better than sparring with Miss Jane or the other army members. I couldn't even do anything with them and ended up being treated like a meat sack by them.

Hu hu hu, can't wait to let Night taste the fruit of my training!

Anyway, dinner~ dinner~. What kind of dinner will it be tonight? I can't wait. Will the blonde princess join us again tonight, I wonder? She has been eating here everyday. I know that the orphanage food is scrumptious but can she not be so… how do you say it… poor looking? Well, watching her eat makes my appetite stronger so it might not be a bad thing…

Ah, forget about it. Let's keep focusing on getting stronger faster! Don't let the two princesses overtake me, ever!

A while later, after dinner.

Burp, that was delicious. Master Milo is such a fussy person when it comes to food but can't say I hate it. I can taste many new delicious things because of Master Milo's fussiness. It is another fulfilling day. Now let's go do some training. Can't let the cubs overtake me, right?

When I am walking towards the training ground, I can see Night coming out from the military area where the army members, or soldiers as Master Milo calls them, stays. I quickly approached her to say hello.

“Heya Night"

“Moon, are you going to do night training?”

"Yeah. Let's go together. I also want to spar a bit. Let's see what you have gained in the army”

"I must warn you, I'm not the same as before. Captain Leon has been helping me with training lately. You might not be able to hold on for long”

"You said it! If you lose then you need to treat me to meat skewers! Anyway, you are always about Captain Leon nowadays. Do you want to court him?”

“Captain Leon is a strong man worthy of me. So I must also strive to become worthy for him. Aren't you also the same?”

"I'm the same? What are you talking about?”

"Don't tell me you forget that we need to find help to rescue our tribe? Didn't you say that you want to become the noble's concubine to gain his help? You are quick to get lazy as always princess”

"Stop it. Don't call me princess. The tribe is no more after all so there's no point in calling me princess. And Master Milo is too far to reach. There's also Miss Jane already as his first concubine. I don't feel confident competing with her”

“Haven't you heard about Master Milo’s concubine policy? He will take anyone as long as they also show results in their hard work. Come on, let me beat up some discipline to you”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Oh, with just you? You, who can't beat me in sparring since our childhood? Let see your training result with your beloved captain then”

Damn it, even Night is scolding me for being lazy. I have to teach her who's boss again like usual to remind her that I am stronger!

And then they quickly go to the training ground to have a spar.

A few moments later.

Night beats me…

Lying on my back looking at the starry sky, my mind went blank from disbelief.

“Your reflex is terrifying as usual, Moon. But you lack battle experience. You fall for the simplest feint in a heartbeat”

“Feint? You used trickery? The always straight Night is using trickery in a fight? You have changed, Night!”

"What are you talking about? Feint can't even be considered trickery. It's a martial technique to bewilder the opponent. But then again, I am indeed changing my opinion about trickery now"

"Wow, to think that the stubborn Night could change her opinion like this. Is this the effect of love?”

I regulated my breathing and tried to wake up. Night then stretches her hand towards me which I quickly grab and she pulls me up.

Ouch, my body is hurting all over. Night didn't hold back at all. Did she hold a grudge against me?

“That… might count. But it's mostly because I saw how effective tactics and tricks are in battle. Do you know how easy it was to hunt a horde of monsters just by digging some trenches?”

“Of course I know. I was also in the army for a few days before, remember?"

"But the army was short handed at the time so the scale of monsters kited was kept small. Nowadays, with hunters from the guild joining in, the scale of monsters kited reach thousands! I wish I can bring this knowledge back to the tribe…”

“... Okay, I know. It's just that the temptation to laze around is really strong here. But we have our tribe to save aren't we? Still, I have yet to understand even the basics from what Teacher Jane taught me so I'm feeling a bit discouraged. Moreover, seeing the new cubs mastering it so easily… I feel like crying”

"What's basic are you talking about? Come on Moon, be strong for our tribe. Tell me your problem, I will help you if I can”

"... It's that circulating mana in the body. I never manage to succeed doing it. I can't get my body all sparkly”

“Oh, that one? Can you show me how you do it?"

I nod to Night and start trying to circulate my mana in my body. It starts fine but as I finish one circulation then another, I start to feel resistance in my mana flow. I keep struggling until I can't go on anymore. I then look at Night waiting for her response.

“Oh, sorry, I can't feel anything. I guess I need to touch you to feel your circulation process"

“Then why didn't you do it earlier?"

“Sorry sorry, remember that we are both still a beginner in this ok? Let's try it again but I will touch you now to feel around"

“Do it properly. Geez"

Night then put her hand on my back to feel around my mana circulation process. I started my circulation process again and failed again after a few.

“So? Anything you noticed?"

“All I noticed is that you circulate your mana in the opposite direction of mine. Oh right, let me check your body's natural rotation direction”

"My body's natural rotation direction?”

"Yeah, just sit down and let me check it”

"How?”

"Just sit down and let me check your scalp”

"You are not joking, right?”

"I'm serious. Just sit down”

Feeling that Night is indeed being serious, I obediently sit down on the ground and let her check on whatever she needs to check.

“Did you try circulating your mana in a sunwise direction? You know sunwise, right?”

"Of course I know. It's when you lie down with your left hand pointing at the sun rise, the direction of the sun moving towards the dusk is the sunwise direction, right? And yes, I am rotating in sunwise”

"Then have you ever tried doing it in the opposite way? Try the anti sunwise direction”

"I never thought about doing it. But didn't the instructor teach us not to stray too much from the way they taught us on how to circulate mana or the consequences would be dire, right? Like vein explosions or the likes?”

"This is not straying away. This is just doing it in the opposite direction. I assure you that it will be fine. I will also protect you in case anything happens. So just do it Moon”

Geez, Night is being pushy as usual. I grumbled a bit while giving my affirmation to her and started circulating my mana again slowly, in the opposite direction than usual now.

As I gingerly circulate my mana in an anti sunwise direction, I quickly noticed that my mana circulates smoother than usual. I can sense that power coursed throughout my body in the way I never experienced before.

"Did I succeed?”

As I said that, my concentration strayed and the circulation became undone. Oh, that's right, I need to keep my concentration focused to keep circulating my mana.

"Welcome to the first step of body enhancement, Moon. Now you need to train it so that you can continue circulating your mana unconsciously”

"I feel like it will be a long journey ahead. How did you know I have to circulate my mana in the anti sunwise direction by the way? Why did the instructor and Miss Jane never teach me this?”

"I know the direction from looking at the natural spiral direction of your hair. And of course the instructor and Miss Jane never taught you that because they don't know about it. Actually, I also experienced the same problem as you. When I asked captain Leon for help, he accidentally looked at my hair and found out that my natural spiral direction is in the opposite direction as everyone in the army is. He then remembered that in the past, Master Milo had once checked their scalp too and complained that everyone is the same. When Captain Leon asked what he complained about, Master Milo told him that the direction of everyone's natural spiral on their hair is all the same so he won't be able to study what difference would it make if someone's natural spiral goes the opposite direction. So after remembering that, Captain took me to meet Master and Master told me to try circulating my mana in the opposite way and it actually work out fine”

“Something like that happened?"

“Yeah, I need all the power I can get as I hunt everyday so I got anxious faster than you and received the answer first. So, how do you feel after finally succeeding your first mana enhancement?"

"I feel great! My body is filled with power and I feel like I can take down a tusk boar by myself! And thanks for asking by the way”

"Good for you then. But please don't wrestle a tusk boar by yourself. Train using mana enhancement for a long period of time first like the two princesses then you might have a chance”

"Yes. Thanks again, Night! Now those whelps won't be able to easily overtake me!”

“Let's work hard together to help our tribe"

"Well, I just want to work hard so the two princesses don't overtake me and make Master Milo lose his interest in me. You should also work hard for your beloved alpha, Night”

“Wh-why should I work hard for Captain? We should prioritize our tribe, right? And haven't you been aiming for Master Milo yourself?"

"I only aim for Master because he can provide me with a comfortable life while you aim to provide Captain with your cubs. And by the way, I didn't even mention who your beloved alpha was, you know? You said it yourself”

“Oh you little cheeky… I guess you need more help with training tonight. Let me help you. Let's spar again”

"Wait, Night, why does your smile feel scary? What are you going to do? HELP!”

“No need to thank me. I will help you train free of charge. Oh, and we also don't have to worry about injuries now that Master Milo managed to learn healing magic. Isn't that awesome?”

“Night, why did I feel a great amount of malice from you? Do you really resent me that much? Let's discuss the problem in a civilized way okay?"

“Shut up and fight!"

“Stinky bug! That's supposed to be my line!"

“The table has turned now Moon!"

“I have also mastered mana reinforcement. We’ll see who's gonna beat who!”

This is dangerous! I can't let Night challenge the pecking order now. My pride as the leader’s daughter won't let me live defeat. Come hither you stinking Night!