Chapter 7

As the old, wrinkled face of Old Aiger gradually disappeared into the smoke, he said, "I'm old and can't move much. If you can leave here and have the good fortune to visit Ironstone City, deliver this letter to a woman named Gery." Old Aiger's voice carried a sense of unresolved regret and guilt as he handed over a yellowed envelope to Rick.

Rick solemnly put the envelope away, just as he was about to ask a question, Old Aiger got up and walked towards the door: "There's only one salt well here, and it's in the territory of those hyenas."

Rick was taken aback, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise: "Hyenas? Sand Pirate Hyenas?!"

The Sand Pirate Hyenas were notorious. On the edge of the Samo Desert, apart from the Frontier Army, there were only the Sand Pirate Hyenas.

The term "notorious" here did not mean that the hyenas were particularly powerful, but rather that they were inhumane and cruel. They would do anything for money. He never expected that the nearest salt well would be under their control.

The words on the piece of paper were "salt well." The mysterious voice told Rick that no matter what, he had to go and check out the salt well.

As Rick was deep in thought, Old Aiger's voice sounded from the doorway: "That salt well, according to its reserves, should be almost abandoned. What are you going there for?" Without waiting for Rick's response, Old Aiger continued on his own: "Forget it, do as you please. If you can leave, remember to deliver the letter for me." After saying this, Old Aiger seemed to have put down some burden, and his steps became much lighter.

.........................

Now that Rick had officially become a reserve member of the Frontier Army, he no longer needed to work. Most of the time, apart from training, he could arrange his own schedule.

Although the Frontier Army also engaged in banditry, they were still a regular army. This side job could only be done occasionally, not long-term. The frequent attacks on passing merchants recently were due to the person living in the two-story building, who had given the Frontier Army sufficient compensation to intercept all passing caravans. Even if they couldn't take everything, they had to report the specific details carefully.

This person had been at the Frontier Army camp for almost three months, almost the same time as Rick had been there.

This person was named Mawi, a middle-aged man with a gentle demeanor. To be honest, Rick had never seen such a gentle man before.

His smooth, beardless face always wore a smile that made people feel as if they were basking in a warm spring breeze. His neatly trimmed mustache was always kept clean. Rick thought that even the whitest bread couldn't compare to Mr. Mawi's skin. Although praising a man's skin as good might not be appropriate, Rick just felt that Mr. Mawi was very fair and gentle.

But after that night of selection, every time Rick heard the clear bell sound, he would feel a deep-seated fear.

Even the rough soldiers of the Frontier Army would behave like quails when they saw Mr. Mawi.

During the selection, a very beautiful, sea-blue, crystalline sand was used, something Rick had never seen before.

Rick still remembered the cold, smooth feel of that substance in his palm. But immediately after, he felt a dizzying nausea and intense pain, as if his head was being stirred with a wooden stick. The pain was so severe that Rick and the other young men who were being tested rolled on the ground.

The only one who passed the test was the young man with the monkey-like jaw. He wasn't originally lame, but somehow, within a month, his leg became completely lame.

Rick didn't know what that sea-blue sand was, but even the most experienced company commander didn't know. He only heard the monkey-jawed man occasionally boast that it was a very, very precious thing.

.........................

"Gather! Everyone gather!!" Big Black's voice, like a闷雷 (thunder), echoed through the Frontier Army camp in the early morning.

Apart from the disheveled reserve members, there were a few young women with messy hair, crouching low to avoid the somewhat heated gazes of the surrounding men.

These young women were also part of the reserve. They didn't dare to kill, but they wanted to live and not become corpses under the old poplar trees outside the camp. So they paid with their bodies to earn the right to live.

Among them was a young woman assigned to Mawi, who ignored the gazes of the others, which were like hooks, and stood confidently in the formation.

Rick sniffed, and a faint, fresh scent wafted from the young woman. Taking advantage of the chaos, Rick's hormone-filled eyes secretly examined her.

Among the dark-skinned Samo people, she was relatively fair, indicating that her family background was probably good. She was the tallest and the most beautiful of all the young women.

Her large, light brown eyes were paired with fine, dark eyebrows. The most beautiful feature was her clearly defined, full, and plump lips, which remained so even in the arid desert.

Under her neatly uniformed attire, her body was well-proportioned, full of the youth and vitality characteristic of a young woman.

To be honest, Rick also wanted to sleep with this beauty, but even the company commander didn't dare to have any improper thoughts about this reserve young woman.

The monkey-jawed man was just a tool, but his status had already surpassed that of an ordinary reserve member.

The young woman, however, was a student chosen by Mr. Mawi. Although having a student stay overnight in his room was somewhat controversial, it was just that—controversial.

Seemingly noticing Rick's gaze, the young woman turned her head and looked at him. Her gaze was calm but carried an unhidden sense of superiority, as if she were looking at a lower-class person.

Rick averted his gaze as Big Black's thunderous voice boomed: "You bunch of pigs! Get in line quickly!" Using the opportunity to organize the formation, the tall, dark, and loud-voiced Big Black, with his rough hands like tree bark, kept groping the young women.

The young women only lowered their heads, allowing him to do as he pleased. They were originally kept as tools for sexual release, usually separated from the young men. Only when a Frontier Army soldier was willing to pay some money could they taste their soft, young bodies.

"Gathering complete!" Big Black knew the importance of the task at hand, so after a few gropes, he began to enforce military discipline.

The company commander and Mr. Mawi came out of the two-story building together.

Mr. Mawi's smile was still gentle and warm, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze. The company commander's smile, however, was somewhat stiff and artificial.

Approaching the cavalry squadron, Mr. Mawi greeted everyone warmly: "Thank you all for your hard work. If this mission is successful, I will certainly give everyone a commendation!" Even though they knew Mr. Mawi wasn't a good person, his low-key attitude still made these rough Frontier Army soldiers feel a bit of goodwill.

In contrast, the company commander's pre-battle speech was more rigid and stiff.

This mission was a semi-official operation.

"The Sand Pirate Hyenas are seriously affecting the empire's security, so this cleanup operation has been kept secret from everyone to prevent any leaks..." The company commander, with his full beard, used his stiff voice to make the final动员 (mobilization).

Rick's eyes flickered slightly, then returned to calm.

In the past few days, apart from recovering from his injuries, Rick had been practicing how to use a short sword correctly under Old Aiger's guidance, while also keeping an eye on the news about the hyenas.

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