Chapter 34: Headhunt

  A resounding cheer echoed across the training ground. Colonel Lalanta smiled with satisfaction, like a grandma warmly looking at her own kids.

  Kiita stepped back from Napha's body. Napha gazed nervously as sharp fangs were held close to his throat. Nitaan stood up, extending his hand to Napha on the ground. Napha grasped his hand, pulling himself up.

  Another loud cheer erupted as both of them stood up.

  Why always yell? Nitaan sighed.

  "The winner! Nitaan!" Colonel Lalanta announced clearly, naturally followed by a chorus of cheers.

  "You're amazing! Even though I’m kind of out of shape today, I'm one of the top frontline combatants among Core officers. Normally, just being able to spar with me would be enough to pass the test," Napha scratched his cheek shyly.

  "Stop beating around the bush! Just say it's the first time you've lost to a new recruit!" one of the Core officers shouted across.

  "Shut up! Why don't you try sparring with this kid yourself?” Napha retorted.

  "He's got tons of combat experience, his martial arts skills are up to par, and he even has the gut to use himself as bait!"

  "You've lost! So shut up!" another Core officer joked.

  Quite friendly Nitaan laughs at how close each unit is.

  Nitaan disliked large crowds. Being surrounded by hundreds was very uncomfortable for him. However, the playful and friendly atmosphere made him feel a bit more relaxed.

  "Alright, shut up, you scum!" Colonel Lalanta said with a stern expression.

  All the officers fell silent, sensing the pressure from Colonel.

  "The best one is obviously that dog!" Colonel Lalanta shouted, pointing at Kiita.

  "Agile, intelligent, adept at feints and attacks, quick to follow orders, and most importantly, big, fluffy, and adorable!" Colonel Lalanta said with a serious expression.

  All the officers fell silent. The atmosphere was still, as if time had stopped. Only Kiita, sitting next to Nitaan, wagged its tail.

  Cheers and jeers erupted from all directions. Officers whistled and booed in disapproval, even those who had never participated before covering their mouths and booing.

  “Bias! That animal-loving Colonel just sides with something cute!”

  “Colonel Lalanta is biased against cute things again!”

  “We demand that humans have their rights back!”

  Many officers booed and shouted.

  Perhaps… Injan might be a better option after all, Nitaan thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold.

  “Shut up, you scum! I’m sick of seeing your faces every day! Fluffy and cute companions are way better than you guys!!” Colonel Lalanta retorted.

  Laughter rippled through the surrounding officers. The atmosphere became lively and friendly. Even though Colonel Lalanta is so high up in rank, she still doesn’t mind this casual interaction.

  “Alright, let’s get down to business! Which unit will Nitaan and Kiita be assigned to?” Colonel Lalanta turned to look at the Core officers.

  Seeing that the fun was over, hundreds of soldiers dispersed to their respective zones for training, leaving only a dozen or so officers to approach.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The rest were field unit officers who were secretly training nearby, hoping to quickly gather information about which unit this strong new recruit would be assigned to.

  “It must be my Unit 3! We don’t have a single Scout yet! We rely on hired citizens as informants. It’s a real struggle!” a middle-aged woman exclaimed.

  This woman carried two spears on her back. Her figure was slightly plump, but her muscles showed considerable strength.

  “That’s ridiculous, Mei! This kid should be in Unit 8 with me! With such exceptional combat abilities, why would he be a Scout?” An elderly man quickly interrupted.

  This elderly man had one eye covered, wore brass knuckles, and appeared outspoken and hot-tempered. Just by his appearance, one could tell he is very violent.

  “My Unit 1 is the best! We’ve always been number one in the monthly ranking! Since they are also capable, they should be in our unit,” another middle-aged woman added.

  This woman was beautiful, with long hair reaching her mid-back, and wore a top hat, giving off the image of a skilled rear-guard, unlike the previous unit leaders, who each projected the image of seasoned warriors.

  “The hell you say!? Your Unit 1 is just lucky to have two Scouts!”

  “It has to be Unit 3! You all have Scout already! Or else give me one of your Scouts!”

  “Napha from your unit lost! so your unit is disqualified!”

  All of the leaders are Engravers. When they argue, their spiritual energies clash with each other in an intense standoff.

  Neither willing to back down. Even some Learners members in the back seemed about to join in the fight.

  The shouting and arguing from the Core officers continued for a while, making Nitaan’s head spin. Several unit leaders were arguing so fiercely that he couldn’t keep up. Colonel Lalanta didn’t intervene, as if wanting them to settle it amongst themselves.

  This is getting a bit too lively. Nitaan grumbled.

  "Hey! You're good at close combat, aren't you? Want to join my unit as a front-line combatant?" The old man shouted.

  "Uh... I don’t mind being a frontline combatant." Nitaan replied.

  "With your excellent detection skills, why be on the front line? Become a Scout for me instead!" a plump woman named Mei said.

  "Well, if you're short on personnel, I can join your unit," Nitaan replied, tilting his head.

  "No way! Your name is Nitaan, right? My Unit 6 is the one you will be in!"

  "Nitaan, Unit 1 has the best performance! Easy work, not tiring at all!"

  The arguing continued. Colonel Lalanta laughed heartily, not bothering to intervene.

  "Uh... May I say something?" Nitaan raised his hand amidst the heated argument.

  “Go ahead, kid. Tell them you want to join Unit 8 with me. I’ll take you to fight people every day!”

  I don’t want to fight people every day…

  “Unit 1 is the best, a highway to success! With someone as capable as you joining, you’ll probably get promoted soon. And the salary is high!”

  I don’t want to be Colonel or a general… but the higher salary is tempting…

  Just as the unit leaders were about to argue again, Nitaan interrupted.

  “I’ll let Kiita decide,” Nitaan said with a wry smile, glancing at Kiita beside him.

  Kiita looked up at Nitaan, tilting his head cutely as if asking what they were talking about.

  After Nitaan conveyed what he wanted to Kiita and briefly explained, Kiita barked softly in acknowledgment.

  Kiita stood up, wagging his tail, sniffing around, and walked towards each unit leader before stopping in front of Napha, who was having his minor wounds treated. Napha jumped in surprise when he saw Kiita walking towards him, sticking out his tongue and wagging his tail happily.

  Seeing Kiita switch off from his hunter mode to fluffy mode, Napha gave a hesitant smile and cautiously reached out to pet Kiita's head.

  Kiita responded positively, lowering his head and whining adorably.

  This was a stark contrast to the giant, demonic dog that had been ready to bite his throat at any moment before.

  "Woof!" Napha flinched slightly when Kiita barked.

  Kiita likes this older brother!

  Nitaan chuckled softly and then turned to speak to Napha.

  "He said he likes you, Napha. Which unit are you in?" Nitaan asked.

  "Uh... I'm in Unit 3," Napha replied, confused.

  "Then I'll join Unit 3 too. At least Unit 3 has someone I know," Nitaan said to the unit leaders.

  A middle-aged woman named Mei grinned widely while the others frowned.

  “She’s so lucky! Not only did she finally get a Scout in her unit, but one who can fight in close combat too!”

  “That dog was very useful too,” the disappointed unit leaders muttered dejectedly.

  “And it’s super cute,” Colonel Lalanta added.

  “Then that’s it! From now on, Nitaan will be in Unit 3 under Leader Mer!” Colonel Lalanta announced.

  “Dismissed. Mei, take Nitaan to the unit’s room and introduce him to the others.”

  “Yes, Colonel!” Mei and the other officers replied, dispersing with dejected expressions.

  “As for Kiita, come with me. I’m going to teach him about the rules of City Guard unit for companions.” Colonel Lalanta said with a stern face.

  Nice excuse. Nitaan’s eye twitched.

  Kiita looked around confusedly. He glanced at Nitaan, who nodded, indicating he should follow. He then walked towards Colonel Lalanta. As his figure approached… Colonel immediately leaped forward and pulled Kiita into a hug.

  "So soft! I've had my eye on you since we were in the office! He's so fluffy and big! I want to hug him forever!" Colonel Lalanta hugged Kiita without any shame.

  The strong and mighty Colonel of City Guard unit is jumping around with a beaming smile with Kiita in her arms. She doesn’t really care how others look at her.

  "There she goes again," whispers rose from the other soldiers.

  "When I first joined Unit 4, my Summer baboon, Dylan, was taken away by Colonel for a whole day," another soldier said. The large baboon behind that soldier trembled.

  "And that giant dog is the fluffy type that Colonel likes. He must get visits all the time," another Beast tamer with a cat on his shoulder sighed.

  Uh… Nitaan felt a sweat run down his spine.

  "Please go easy on him," Nitaan said to Colonel, who was still holding Kiita tightly.

  Nitaan couldn't help but chuckle at Kiita's increasingly uncomfortable expression.

  Kiita is quite fond of people, but loving him this much might be too much.

  Nitaan transmitted his thoughts to Kiita through his mind.

  Hang in there. If you can't handle it, find an opportunity to escape. Nitaan laughs.

  As Nitaan followed Unit Commander Mei out, he suddenly sensed Kiita's despair while Colonel Lalanta happily engaged in her ‘Refill’ activity.