No Beast Girls on the Western Front

Page 97

...!

No wonder everyone likes Payne so much. It's not just because he's a good animal trainer and a good comrade-in-arms... he's definitely the best choice!

Thinking this, Xiao En turned her head and looked at... Payne.

Payne noticed her gaze and chuckled as he smoothed her hair. "What's wrong...?"

“Yes.” Xiao En nodded without hesitation.

I never expected that this sheep, which usually looks shy and introverted, would...

It seems only more difficult... teaching... will be possible...!

With that thought in mind, Payne... began the second lesson.

Although this time... the symptoms have subsided further, Xiao En does not feel that her condition has improved.

Another emotion gradually welled up from the bottom of her heart, which made her more and more uneasy, and she gradually lost the mood to continue attending class.

Because she was so engrossed in the first class, she almost completely forgot about some past events that had been bothering her for a long time.

But now, somehow, after the symptoms subsided, those painful experiences surfaced one after another on the surface of her consciousness, making her blame herself again.

At times like this………………

Ugh... I'm such a terrible beast...

Payne quickly noticed that Shawn was no longer cooperating, and her face unconsciously betrayed her sadness. So he hastily ended the second lesson, held her tightly in his arms, and asked with concern:

"What happened? Do you want me to tell you?"

Xiao En sniffed twice, then rubbed her eyes. "I...I'm sorry...You were the one who offered to help me...I...I..."

“It’s okay, this is part of helping you.” Payne gently stroked her woolly hair. “Come on, tell me about it.”

After a moment of silence, Xiao En simply wiped away her tears and said in a voice filled with suppressed sadness, "I...I'm fine...Can...can you hold me a little longer?"

“Of course I can.” Payne patted her back. “But you don’t look okay, you’re crying. How can I leave a crying girl alone?”

Xiao En's body trembled violently as if she had been electrocuted, and she looked up at Payne, "But...but...I'm just an orc..."

"There's no conflict between them. You're an orc, and you're also a girl... The softness and vulnerability of girls also exist within you."

After hearing Payne's explanation, Xiao En was stunned for a long time, unsure how to react.

Payne wasn't in a hurry. He gently stroked her horns with one hand and kneaded her little tail with the other.

Although he was considerate of Xiao En's feelings, the other beasts wouldn't stay outside any longer for that reason, so he had to make up for the wasted time with Xiao En.

However, he quickly lost interest, because after a while, Xiao En seemed to have come to her senses. She lowered her head and rested it against his chest, saying in a voice that was clearly trembling with tears:

"I...I'm nothing but a worthless beast...I shouldn't have disagreed at a time like this..."

“The branching mechanism is determined by nature, it’s not your fault at all,” Payne comforted softly. “Why would you think that way?”

“I…I am completely unworthy of disagreement, unworthy of having you, Payne, help me…”

"Why are you saying I'm not worthy? The divider is determined by nature, and I did it voluntarily... What are you thinking?"

While wiping away her tears, Xiao En said, "Waaah... Grace, who was so good to me, just passed away... As a comrade-in-arms, I should be sad..."

"The new beast Ella has also joined this team. As a senior, I... I should really help her more and share some of your burden..."

"But...but under the stimulation of hormones, all I can think about is...that kind of thing!..."

"Why did I become like this... I hate myself so much..."

"But even when faced with such a terrible me, you are still so gentle... I... I... I am completely unworthy! Waaaaah..."

Seeing Xiao En burying her face in her chest and sobbing, Payne could only sigh helplessly.

She still hasn't gotten over Grace's death...

Since Shawn seemed to be doing well during this period, and the newcomer Ella was in a particularly miserable state, Payne really didn't pay much attention to the sheep anymore.

Thinking of this, he hugged Xiao En even tighter. "I'm sorry, I've been focusing on Ella these past few days and haven't even noticed your splitter..."

"No... Waaah... You did nothing wrong... You don't need to apologize... Waaah..." Xiao En was still sobbing uncontrollably.

Payne: "But you didn't do anything wrong, so what do you have to apologize for?"

Xiao En: "I...I shouldn't have...always been thinking about...that kind of thing when Grace had just passed away...waaaah..."

Payne: "How long do you want to be sad? A month? A whole year? Are you going to live like this forever? You can't even live a normal life anymore?"

"Xiao En, Grace's situation isn't your fault. You need to look forward and not dwell on the past."

"I saw you were quite proactive the other day, carrying more ammunition and helping Ella, teaching the two dogs and the horse how to throw grenades."

Xiao En: "Waaah... But... but I should have focused all my energy on the new recruits. The French could attack at any time, what if..."

Payne shook her shoulders abruptly. "Shawn! You've done more than enough!"

"But……"

Payne immediately interrupted her: "There aren't that many buts!"

"Although humans don't have a splitter, I don't know how you feel right now, but I've seen hundreds and thousands of orcs, and I know that you would feel very uncomfortable and have your energy greatly reduced when you have a splitter."

"But even under such circumstances, you not only took on more and heavier work than before, but also completed it excellently despite feeling unwell. You are already remarkable!"

"I'll say it again, the orcs' emotions and energy are affected by the Divergent, and the Divergent is determined by nature. You have done nothing wrong!"

"Rejecting your instincts is irrational, and you must realize that!"

"If you feel you can't hold on any longer and want to rest, that's fine; the current environment allows it."

"But if you still want to continue, then I will certainly be happier and more willing to help you solve the problem of the splitter."

"You don't need to feel guilty. Just leave it to me, and you can completely enjoy the process! This is what you deserve!"

Chapter 153 CLII. Xiao En After Crying

While Ruby was on guard duty with the other five beasts, she heard a faint sound of a girl crying.

Tsk, it must have been Payne who made Shawn cry.

Moreover, every time an orc cries while alone with Payne, she becomes completely devoted to him.

Tsk, what a "philanthropic" guy.

Ruby and Lacey remained unmoved because they had witnessed similar scenes before, while Alpha and Stephen showed some concern. Only Ella listened intently for a long time before asking with some worry:

"Master and Xiao En...are they alright?"

“Don’t worry, even if Payne gets into trouble, he won’t let Shawn get into trouble,” Ruby said. “As you’ve seen these past few days, that’s the kind of person he is.”

Considering the prolonged abuse Ella suffered at the training base, the little squirrel intended to offer further explanation, but Ella quickly smiled:

"Yes, I believe in my master. I have heard countless cries, but only this time did I hear a sense of relief."

Alpha still seemed a little hesitant: "Uh... so everything is as usual, right? Then shall we return at the originally scheduled time?"

“We definitely can’t return on time. We have to wait until Xiao En finishes crying,” Ruby said.

"I really hope she can finish crying within the allotted time, I'm so sleepy..." Stephen said, letting out a long yawn. "Being on watch in the middle of the night, something that goes against the laws of nature, is definitely not for me..."

Fortunately, Xiao En stopped crying soon afterward, preventing the tragedy of the five beasts being unable to return home and forced to stand at the door.

After a brief chat with the freckled recruits who came to relieve them of their shift, they filed into the trench.

As expected, what came into view was Xiao En, who was sleeping soundly in Payne's arms, and Payne, who put his index finger to his lips to signal them to be quiet.

But just as they were about to go to their respective beds, they heard Payne say in a whisper, "Ruby, sit with me outside for a while. Lacey, you look after Shawn."

Lacey's expression turned extremely resentful for a moment, but in the end she said nothing. She simply climbed into Payne's bed and took Payne's place, letting Shawn hold her hand.

Watching the remaining two dogs and one horse get onto the bed, Payne placed his hand on Ruby's head and pushed her away from the bunker.

Then Ruby immediately blocked his hand.

This land has been ravaged by war for who knows how long. Apart from people (and animals), there is almost no living thing left. In the dead of night in late summer and early autumn, there is no sound of insects chirping or the wind blowing through the leaves. It is quiet and desolate.

The two sat silently in the corner for a few minutes before Ruby finally couldn't hold back and asked, "What do you want to tell me? How many times have you and Xiao En done it?"

Pine replied, "The first time was the most comfortable. The second time, her PTSD flared up again, and it took a long time to calm her down. The third time, I saw that she was too tired and wanted to stop, but she insisted on doing it, and then she fell asleep halfway through..."

"You actually said it when I told you to! Aren't you ashamed at all?!"

While not being as sensitive as others when not in a splitter was a factor, Ruby had also been through thick and thin with Payne on the battlefield for four or five hundred days, and had outgrown the stage of feeling shy. She was just saying that to find a reason to insult Payne.

Payne, seemingly oblivious to the underlying sarcasm, simply asked, "Do you think Xiao En has been working particularly hard these past few days?"

Ruby replied immediately, "It's not just these past few days; she's been like this ever since what happened to Grace. I'm worried her health will collapse."

"it is as expected……"

Payne nodded, lit a cigarette, and continued, "She's living such a tiring life. This time I helped her unload some of her psychological burden, but I'm not sure how long it will last."

"The sheep's branching mechanism takes a very long time to develop, and there are still nearly five months to go... I'm not sure if she'll end up like this again someday."

"The task ahead is truly arduous and the road is long, sigh..."

However, Ruby completely ignored his complaints: "You should be happy that the disagreement has lasted so long."

Payne ignored her teasing and continued, "If you have time, you can also chat with her as a beastman."

"Hmm." Ruby nodded. "Your job as a trainer isn't easy either."

“It’s really not easy…” Payne said, naturally reaching for Ruby’s tail. “There aren’t many things that can relieve my stress…”

Ruby waited two seconds before retracting her tail. "Is that all you wanted to say? Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Go to sleep, go to sleep, finally I can get some rest."

Payne stubbed out his cigarette and placed his hand on Ruby's head before returning to the trench.

This time Ruby didn't push his hand away.

The entire trench fell into an even deeper silence, with only the occasional cough of the sentry proving that it was not a completely dead place.

……

While Payne's long-term concerns were not unfounded, at least for now, Shawn, whom he had helped, had both relieved the discomfort of the splitter and resolved his psychological burden.

After waking up the next day, Xiao En looked much more energetic. Not only had his grenade throwing performance improved, but he was also more focused when instructing the two dogs and one horse.