chsdbacks I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm – Chapter H.3
I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm – Chapter H.3
I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm – Chapter H.3 AnnouncementHi guys :D ! Just a reminder, I posted the last chapter a few days early for Christmas! I know posting at weird times sometimes messes up people's chapter count, so please make sure you didn't miss Chapter 62!
"Ugh- this class is way too long. Can we just go home already~"
"We literally just sat down, Jimmy."
"And these five seconds have been the longest five seconds of my life."
The girl next to him rolled her eyes at his groans, "You say the same thing every day. Are the seconds getting longer or are you just getting more impatient?"
"Both probably."
"... No. The seconds are not getting longer, you weirdo," the girl sighed, "Shouldn't you be more excited about class today? I heard we're doing a special lesson for the anniversary."
"Anniversary?" Jimmy tilted his head, "The fifty thousand whatever? That's today?"
"Have you really not paid any attention!? It's all that people are talking about- I mean, there's so many events going on today to celebrate it that it's hard not to see a flyer somewhere. We're literally even going to one together after school today!"
"Oh, right... that's what it's for."
The girl's eyes narrowed, "You're joking. What else could it be for?"
"I don't know. There's an anniversary for something like every day," Jimmy whined while stretching in his seat, "All I'm saying is that it's hard to find something to be an important date thing when we still have to wear these stupid uniforms to school."
"You don't like the uniforms?"
"... The 'Donstar' logo just feels cheese-y."
"What does that even-"
"Good morning, class!" The teacher finally entered the classroom, interrupting their casual conversation with her call, "We have a special lesson today, so let's not waste any time!"
"I told you so."
Jimmy ignored the girl's whisper next to him as he apathetically fixed his posture.
"As I'm sure you all know, today marks 50,000 years since the first settlement was established on this planet!" the teacher continued, "I prepared some materials on your DonPads outlining some history for us to look over today."
With a groan, Jimmy pulled out a device resembling a tablet and placed it on his desk, "These things are so heavy... why can't they bring back the implants?"
"Are you seriously gonna complain about everything today?" the girl next to him rolled her eyes, "It weighs like a quarter of a pound... and you know those implants were a disaster."
"Slight convenience is worth getting brain-zapped for," Jimmy shrugged as he turned on the DonPad and opened up the teacher's link, muttering the title out loud, "The Origins of Donstar Amidst the Cold Cataclysm published on Scribble... Hub? That's not this site, is it?"
"What? No, this is the teacher's personal site."
Bang!
"That's horrible! How could she just steal the author's work like that!? He probably spent years writing this thing!"
"... You don't have the energy to pick up a DonPad yet you're slamming on your desk over something like this?"
"Of course I am! This is a sin against ethics! A travesty of morality! A carbuble in surcupatron!"
"You're just making up words at this point."
"The point is, it's wrong!" Jimmy dismissed the girl's interjections with a raised fist, "I won't stand for this heinous crime!"
"Jimmy, put down your fist and be quiet."
"I don't take orders from a thief!"
"Jimmy! Are you crazy!? Don't talk back to the teacher!"
A three-way argument quickly broke out in the classroom, lasting until Jimmy eventually shut his mouth under the threat of triple homework.
"I didn't just steal the guy's work- only a monster would do that," the teacher sighed once Jimmy quieted down, "The link I sent you all only has a few paragraphs from his writing; it's not like I'm posting entire chapters or something crazy like that. Besides, his work was from before Mars was first settled, it's well into the public domain now, anyway."
"Still, you should've gotten permission..."
"If the dude wasn't dead, I would have. Again, I'm not a terrible person who'd steal someone's work without permission," the teacher dismissed his grumble, "Even with our technology today, we can't live more than a few thousand years. Over fifty thousand years have passed since this was published- he's not exactly around to ask permission from."
"... So you would've asked permission if he was alive?"
"Of course," The teacher nodded, "Regardless, I'm sure the author cared much more about people learning and potentially being inspired by his work than the way people viewed it."
"No, but it was in the link she sent us," Jimmy answered, ignoring the scoff that followed.
"She probably just wanted to get to the festival and skipped over it," the girl lightheartedly deduced as they neared the school's exit, "Either that or she scrapped her plans after your tantrum~"
"It really wasn't a tantrum..."
The two kids stepped out of the school as Jimmy muttered this, quickly catching sight of a lively festival before them. Booths, tents, and games sprawled out into the distance with countless more continually being constructed. Despite being in front of the school, it seemed to already be filled with random families happily exploring the area.
"Wow... they sure put this together quickly," Jimmy couldn't help but gasp at the lot which flooded with life within the short time he spent in class.
"Are you surprised? You see the 'organized by Donstar' text under those banners, don't you? They could probably get a whole town constructed in a day, let alone a festival."
"Well, I can't deny that they're good at it, but I feel like it's difficult to find an event not organized by them. They're in charge of the whole planet yet they still micro-manage things like this."
"They got us to Mars, didn't they? There's no one better to trust with these kinds of things," the girl nonchalantly stated as she scanned over the stands in the distance, her eyes widening as she spotted one that caught her interest, "Jimmy- the snacks at that one look so yummy!"
Before he even had time to protest, he was already getting dragged by his hand into the festival.
.
..
...
"I didn't expect it, but that was actually pretty fun," Jimmy admitted as he continually juggled a small, silver ring in his palm.
"I told you it would be~ nom."
Small munching could be heard from the girl next to him as they traveled back home, following their time at the festival. They took a peaceful route stretching along a stone brick pathway, slightly raised above the edge of a Tiu Vallis River channel.
"I can't believe you made me buy those for you, yet you won't even share any..."
"Huh!? Why didn't you ask!? Here-"
Ding!
Splash!
"Noooo! My ring!"
Following Jimmy's demand, the girl tossed him a piece of candy... only for it to hit the ring he was juggling and send it splashing into the river roughly 6 inches below their feet.
"Shoot! Sorry, Jimmy! I didn't mean to-"
Splash!
Before she even had a chance to fully apologize, Jimmy had already jumped into the water.
"What are you doing!?"
"That ring was engraved for the 50,000-year anniversary! Do you have any idea how valuable that thing might be when we're older!?" Jimmy yelled as he started frantically digging in the mud in search of the ring.
"... I think you might be overreacting a bit."
"How could you say that after whacking it into the river!? This is your fault!" Jimmy continued excavating the mud with his hands as he searched the river, "Where are you, my precious!? Hm?"
His hand made contact with something hard hidden beneath the mud. Though it was far too big to be the ring, Jimmy scooped it out anyway out of curiosity.
"A rock? This is weird... is it some kind of meteorite?" he muttered as he looked at the stone in his hand.
It was pitch black and roughly the size of his palm, resembling slightly more of an oval than a sphere. It had an odd shine to it and was strikingly smooth, almost as if it was polished.
"Are you collecting rocks now?" a high-pitched voice sounded behind him.
"Are you done judging everything I do now?" Jimmy rolled his eyes as he slipped the rock into his pocket, "If I can't find the ring, I might as well keep something from today."
"We can still find the ring... Here- I'll help you look."
After taking off her socks and shoes, the girl hopped into the river next to him and aided in the search. Sure enough, the two managed to locate the ring after a bit more looking.
The two kids eventually got back to their homes much happier despite being covered in mud. Once back in his room, Jimmy placed the ring he had won and the rock he had found next to each other on his shelf.
It would not be until he turned off his light to go to bed that he'd discover the faint glow emitting from the stone.