Chapter 70
I'm not
Both Shilolin and Gaia were at this time in the same season, summer, more accurately, midsummer.
At Shilolin's capital city, the originally still bright and beautiful sky was gradually becoming covered by clouds. The dark and thick clouds blocked the sunlight and made the city dim as well.
Although raindrops had yet to fall, from the color of the sky it looked like there was going to be heavy rain.
The moment the first drop fell, in an instant, rapid rain started pouring down over the city, enshrouding it in a curtain of rain.
Just as it was getting dark outside, Morrison glanced out of the window to check the weather.
The laili cub who had waddled after him and was next to his leg must have been more sensitive to weather changes. As if scared, the cub opened his wings on both sides of his body, just like small short arms, and hugged the leg of the adult next to him.
He had intended to brew milk for the cub, but looking at the situation, it would have to wait. Morrison bent down to once more pick up the cub.
As soon as he was picked up, the laili cub drilled into the embrace of the adult holding him and buried his head in the chest of the latter. The thick fluff covering his body had begun to quiver slightly.
When a flash of lightning then suddenly lit up the sky, followed by the roaring of thunder a few seconds later, the laili cub at once lightly trembled out of fear in the adult's arms, he also gave a more clear reaction.
"Gu! Gu-Ji—" The wings that had been calmly hanging at his sides began to move. The cub repeatedly slapped at the adult carrying him in his embrace and issued a tender and crisp call as he did this.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Saying these words in a steady voice, Morrison adjusted his posture and barely managed to pat the cub's fluffy back with his right hand.
The expression on his face was not the least bit gentle, but the man in the Star Alliance uniform could be said to truly be patiently taking care of the cub in his embrace. If the people at the Star Alliance military department saw the current scene, they would most likely not believe their eyes.
Not knowing how to comfort the cub, when the laili cub was frightened by the thunder, Morrison could only hold the cub like this.
He didn't know what more to say to comfort the cub. Holding the cub a little tighter, Morrison just repeated the words "don't be afraid".
Probably at last feeling a sense of security from the soothing voice and the light pat on his back, the laili cub, who had his head buried in the other's chest, slowly stopped trembling.
But he still couldn't settle down completely. The cub instinctively continued slapping his little wings against the adult so that the man holding him would pat his back again like just now.
On rainy days like these, the pain at the end of Morrison's severed arm would suddenly become several times more clear. But he did not wince nor did his face change color as he endured the piercing pain. Instead, the soon to be retired soldier did as instructed and moved his right hand to once more touch the back of the cub in his arms.
The inconvenience of having only one arm was becoming more clear at this time. He now needed to hold the cub, so Morrison couldn't prepare food for him.
The retirement application submitted to the military department was very soon approved. Just two days later the corresponding process was completed and Morrison at once received a reply from his superiors.
When all was said and done, it was a retirement filed on the basis of physical disability. Even if the higher-ups thought highly of his ability and wanted him to stay, they were still going to approve the application under these circumstances.
Morrison chose a sunny day for the trip. He had booked starship tickets to Gaia for himself and the cub in advance and on that day Morrison carried the laili cub to the Shilolin port.
"Gu-Gu?" Softly issuing a little crisp sound, the laili cub in the adult's arms raised his head and looked at the starship not far away. There was clear doubt in his young voice.
This was only the second time the cub had seen this type of huge machine, the first time he had seen it was when he was brought to this planet.
Was his parent going to bring him somewhere else? This was what the cub was thinking at the moment.
"We're going to a cub raising club. There will be many babies your age there."
His voice was stiff as he explained this.
At last Morrison, carrying the laili cub, boarded the starship. However, he didn't make the cub sit on the bed-like cub seat, but continued to hold the cub in his arms even after boarding.
The baby in his arms should soon already be two years old. At this age, normal families generally started looking for the right cub raising branch for their cub.
Having taken this into consideration, Morrison had decided to take the cub to Gaia.
As for why Gaia was chosen, it had something to do with the rumor that not long ago circulated at the Star Alliance headquarters.
The commercial starship that had departed from Shilolin arrived at Gaia two days later. That afternoon, Zarad had taught the cubs basic combat as usual. When he returned to the living room with the cubs from the courtyard, Zarad truly suffered a fright when he suddenly saw the familiar face in the room.
“You know him.”
It was not hard to understand the expression on Zarad's face, Xie Luan did not use a questioning tone when he said this sentence.
Xie Luan had just welcomed the visitors and had still not had time to talk to the other when Zarad happened to enter.
At Xie Luan's words, Zarad nodded his head in confirmation. The surprise on his face had not yet faded, it could be seen that he really did not expect to see this familiar face at Yunbao branch.
Especially when he saw the other's missing left arm, Zarad became even more shocked, not to mention the fact that the other was holding a cub…
"Long time no see, General."
Meeting the other's bewildered eyes, Morrison said this in a calm voice.
It was exactly because he had heard that the former general was at this club that Morrison had chosen Yunbao cub raising branch without looking at other alternatives.
"How do you have time to come all the way here from Shilolin? It's currently still a workday. Does the military department really have the conscience to give you a vacation?" Zarad asked this, but couldn't help but immediately add, "That cub… Your arm, what happened?" Zarad had a hard time imagining how dangerous the mission must have been in order for the other to lose an arm.
In addition to the regular troops at the Star Alliance military department, some special forces soldiers with outstanding abilities were assigned to a special force called "X". This unit often appeared on the battlefield as an assault force, it was sometimes also sent by the military department to complete some special missions.
Morrison was in this special force, he had always ranked either first or second.
"I have submitted the retirement application, they have already approved it, the arm…" Morrison answers truthfully. He paused slightly before saying the last word, "..accident."
Could an accident really sever an arm? The other's words felt too light, Zarad's eyes almost immediately filled with disbelief.
The other was not some ordinary person who could randomly get injured in an accident. However, the two of them were not close enough that he could get to the heart of the matter. Zarad just nodded at this time and did not pry further.
While the two talked, Xie Luan did not disturb them. His gaze was directed at the cub held in the arms of the man in front of him.
According to the cub encyclopedia, it should be a laili cub. Xie Luan knew this as when he had read the book he had seen that laili cubs looked like chubby little penguins.
Since the cub form was covered with small fluffy feathers, Xie Luan could see that this cub was healthy. The cub's belly was also a little round and slightly bulging, the laili cub should be well fed and cared for at home.
At the end of the conversation with his old acquaintance, Morrison bent down to gently place the cub on the floor, he intended to let the cub explore the new environment by himself.
But Morrison's plan did not work. Xie Luan saw the laili cub open his small wings wide after being put down, he then waddled in a circle around the man before he finally wrapped his wings around the man’s leg.
"This cub has no parents, I hope your club can take in and care for the cub. Not that he should stay here for free, I can pay the annual fee for the cub."
This was the purpose of Morrison's trip.
Xie Luan was watching the cub hug the other's leg with a small smile on his face. Now hearing the person in front of him say this, he couldn't help but slightly pause for a second and ask, "You're not his parent?" Actually, he didn't recognize the race of the person in front of him, but when he saw close the laili cub was with the other, he had subconsciously thought that it was the parent who was leaving the cub their club.
“I'm not.”
Morrison replied, the distinct scar at the corner of his eyes made him look more fierce than gentle as he said this. As an experienced soldier that had seen many battles, the other's natural oppressive feeling could easily make people uncomfortable.
Xie Luan was not affected by this feeling. But when the man said that he was not the parent, he had seen the laili cub, who was hugging the other's leg with his small pair of wings, hang his head.
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Translator's note:
Awh, no, sweety….