Chapter 32

Recently, the term "natives" has almost become the most sensitive vocabulary in the military camp. Once someone utters it, it is bound to attract countless pairs of eyes.

Red Socks' voice was not loud, but the warriors sleeping in the tent were all startled awake. They crawled out of their sleeping bags, eyes still half-closed, and asked Red Socks:

"Where are the natives?"

"Where?"

Surdak was the first to crawl out of his sleeping bag, quickly put on his linen trousers, picked up the armor beside him, and rushed out of the tent, shouting loudly:

"Second Squad, all members, assemble and get ready!"

The tent immediately became chaotic. Everyone rushed out of the tent, put on their armor as quickly as possible, picked up their weapons, and lined up at the tent entrance.

He Boqiang stood in the queue, but he was at the very end. As an extra member of the squad, He Boqiang felt he should stand at the end.

The two new recruits stood with He Boqiang. They had also heard many things about the natives of Handanar County recently and knew the grudges between the 57th Regiment and the natives. They were both nervous and excited about the impending battle.

The warriors in the squad, upon hearing that the natives had been discovered, were naturally agitated. Everyone chattered, saying, "This time, we must give them a taste of our power!"

...

In the eyes of these imperial warriors, the natives of Handanar County were a group of uncivilized primitives.

According to Red Socks, the natives were currently gathered on the riverbank, stealing the Tim fish that everyone had caught yesterday. Surdak led all the warriors down the mountain along a small path on the ridge, approaching the river valley as quickly as possible.

However, before the squad reached the stone beach downstream of the river valley, they could see from a distance a group of native women, wearing only leaves, squatting on the riverbank, using stone axes to smash the bones of the Tim fish on the riverbank. Some of the Tim fish remains on the riverbank had already been cracked open by these native women.

A group of young native girls carried the bloody fish bones on their heads and walked to the opposite bank from the shallow water area of the river valley.

At this moment, a native woman standing guard on the riverbank spotted the Second Squad and immediately shouted a warning to all the native women on the riverbank. These native women quickly picked up the large fish bones they could carry and fled to the shallow water area of the river valley, trying to cross the river and escape to the opposite bank.

The warriors of the Second Squad stared at Red Socks Garcia in confusion and asked him:

"Why are they a group of native women?"

Red Socks Garcia spread his hands, looking innocent, and said:

"They are just a group of native women. I already said that I found a group of native women stealing fish by the river."

All the warriors looked at Surdak, waiting for the captain to make a decision.

Surdak thought for a moment and finally waved his hand, saying, "Let's go and take a look. It's best to capture one and find out the location of their settlement."

After the Second Squad was discovered by the native women on the riverbank, they did not rush over immediately.

They lingered on the hillside for a while before arriving at the riverbank.

The riverbank was already in a mess, with many Tim fish bones that had not been carried away still left on the riverbank. The native women had long fled.

Surdak seemed to have no intention of crossing the river. He and a group of warriors stood by the river, surprised that the native women, who had previously been terrified when they came to the river to fetch water, now had the courage to wade across the shallow water of the river.

He Boqiang stood in the queue, lowering his head and thinking about whether to reveal his discovery. When they rushed down the mountain, he had noticed a native woman who had not managed to cross the river hiding in a thorny bush.

He could even feel the bright eyes in the bush, but he did not say anything.

Surdak led the Second Squad away from the riverbank and continued to explore along the predetermined route.

When they passed by the bush, He Boqiang couldn't help but glance into the bush. To his surprise, he met the gaze of those bright, light green eyes. The light green eyes in the bush suddenly contracted, and He Boqiang, as if he hadn't seen them at all, calmly moved his gaze and stepped through the knee-high grass, continuing forward.

...

It had been nearly three months since he arrived in this strange world. At the beginning, he just lay in the tent in the military camp, recovering from his injuries, knowing nothing about the outside world. The only way to gain knowledge was through the fragmented memories of the body's original owner.

After he recovered, He Boqiang moved to the merchant Lakin's place, where he gained a deeper understanding of this world.

He went on missions with the Second Squad because he didn't know what else he could do.

One day, when he and the Second Squad members went into the mountains to clear out the natives who had attacked the merchant caravans, He Boqiang suddenly realized that he was actually playing the role of an invader, occupying someone else's home.

The imperial warriors had driven these natives from the fertile plains into the mountains. The 57th Heavy Infantry Regiment was stationed here to prevent the natives in the mountains from reorganizing and colluding with the demons from the Abyss, interfering with the major battle in Handanar County.

He shifted his gaze and deliberately engaged the curious new recruit walking in front of him in hand gestures, successfully diverting the new recruit's attention. He passed by the bush as if nothing had happened.

"I really hope we can hunt some more Tim fish. Then maybe I can buy a silver hair clip for Alenka," the new recruit said to He Boqiang as they walked. He thought He Boqiang was a good listener, and he wouldn't spread what he heard.

He Boqiang just smiled at him.

...

The next time he saw those light green eyes was on the fifth evening of the Second Squad's mission.

He Boqiang was sitting on a branch of an oak tree outside the camp, keeping watch. He had to stay there until midnight. Fortunately, the watch duty only came around once every seven days, and it wasn't too difficult to endure. Not far away, the laughter of the Second Squad members in the camp could be heard; they seemed to be telling a very vulgar joke.

The owner of the light green eyes was crouching in the canopy of a maple tree opposite him. The dense leaves hid her figure. If He Boqiang hadn't remembered those green eyes, he might have alerted his companions.

Seeing that she had been discovered, the light, agile body darted out of the dense maple tree. Her body was as light as a deer, and with a few leaps, she quickly disappeared into the twilight of the mountain forest.

He Boqiang jumped down from the tree, wanting to chase after her, but he had no idea where to go.

He worried all night, and even when the watch was changed, no native attack came. Back in the tent, he was still worried that the natives might take the opportunity to attack. Even if they brought a pack of red-eyed hyenas, it would be too much for everyone to handle. He shouldn't have let her go... He Boqiang tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, unable to sleep, and dozed off until dawn.

When he woke up in the morning, He Boqiang's dark circles startled Surdak, who thought he was sick.