Chapter Thirty-Seven - Honest Samurai Reviews

Chapter Thirty-Seven - Honest Samurai Reviews

Chapter Thirty-Seven - Honest Samurai Reviews

"Look, I don't care how woke your review is, the audience won't care what you have to say if you can't even beat the first fucking level!"

-GamersPortal Comment, 2029

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I kind of expected things to move faster than they were, but it was clear a few hours in that I had set my expectations at one level and reality was conspiring to be at another. Which was fine, I supposed.

Basically, while Grasshopper expected the big gun to be ready by nightfall, Major Tinwhistle was a bit more conservative. "By tonight?" she asked when she finally had a spare minute where she wasn't screaming at people not to fuck up. "I... suppose it's possible, but only if by tonight you mean before the sun rises. Even then, that means my guys will be working through the night."ViiSiit novelbi/n(.)c/(o)m for latest novels

"Would letting them get some rest be better?" I asked.

"Do you work at your best without sleep?" she asked right back.

That was a fair point. I wasn't the best when I was cranky.

Grasshopper hummed. "That's unfortunate, but it's not altogether unexpected. To be quite honest we are still a ways ahead of where I expected to be, so I can hardly complain. You've been doing good work. All of your people have."

Major Tinwhistle nodded, but by the set of her shoulders I could tell she was proud to hear that. "Just make sure you let the general know. I don't want to die a Major. This kind of project is either the kind of thing that'll be so black-listed and classified that it won't help me get promoted at all, or it'll be the kind of thing that's so big they won't have a choice but to pin a medal on my chest."

I laughed. "You have things figured out," I said. "But yeah, give your guys a break, I think we'll be fine finishing the big gun tomorrow. Right?"

Grasshopper nodded. "We will. We can likely start purchasing some things now. I intend to buy some construction drones in any case. They'll be able to work through the night."

"Oh?" Tinwhistle asked. "I wouldn't say no to Samurai-tech help."

"Hmm, mine are all back home," I said. "But I don't think it's suitable for this kind of thing."

"It's fine," Grasshopper said. "I will be purchasing large amounts of raw materials. Mister Hedgehog and Miss Princess said that their catalogues couldn't truly help with the gun itself, but they're willing to share the cost for the materials required to build the basing structure."

"What did you buy?" I asked.

Grasshopper tapped her chin. "I'm buying the main gun. I think I have the largest pool of free points to spend on this kind of project. Miss Gomorrah is purchasing a number of shells for the gun as well as the fire-control computer. Mister Crackshot Cowboy bought the targeting system and its hardware already. He had a fantastic catalogue for that."

I nodded along.

"You should go see your friends too. Leave the logistics to the Major and I. You're more of an... in-person leader, I think."

"I'm not a leader at all," I said. "I just keep getting stuck having to boss people around. Doesn't mean I like it. But yeah, sure. I'm worried Rac might be getting into some sort of trouble. I'll be upset if someone drives her over with one of those tractors."

Grasshopper giggled, the laugh making her look ten years younger and kind of ruining her more serious moment. "That would be awful. Go check on her, and on the others. Believe it or not, but all of them, from Gomorrah to Tankette, value your opinion.... Well, maybe not Hedgehog, I have the impression you struck him the wrong way."

"Ah, yeah, that might be my fault, I was a little too honest."

"Honesty can be tricky sometimes," she agreed easily.

I waved goodbye to the Major who barely acknowledged me. She was in the middle of what looked like three simultaneous calls while two engineer-looking sorts were badgering her with questions, so I didn't take umbrage at being ignored and just slipped out of the command tent.

The place was still hustling, even more than when I'd arrived. There was now a mountain of loose dirt being piled up by the roadside, and more tractors had arrived and were shoving it out into a long wall of packed dirt and stone.

The hole where the gun would be had gained another twenty metres or so in the last half hour and it looked like they had dropped another metre. It seemed like they were digging it out as a sort of ramp? I wasn't sure and didn't have the background to make anything approaching an intelligent guess, so I didn't question it.

I did find the others relatively easily.

Tankette had brought her tank forwards next to a row of tents where they were serving food. She was helping, which I imagined continued to make her pretty popular with everyone here. Her smile suggested she was enjoying it.

Princess and Knight were sitting at one table in that tent, looking a little awkward as they spoke to each other. No idea where Hedgehog was. And Rac...

It took me a moment to find her. She was out by the edge of the hole that was being dug. Just far enough from it that I wasn't instinctually worried she'd trip into it and actually get squished.

Next to her, Gros Baton was saying something with a lot of gestures, and from the way their shoulders shook, they both laughed at whatever that was. Rac shoved him, and I caught his stupid grin from all the way out here.

Well well, it seemed like I really was the best match-maker that ever was.

Of course, if the little shit hurt her, no amount of being a samurai or a minor would save him.

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