The Meat Ranger

"Somehow this feels like a waste..."

The Ranger Camp was, as it names describes, a... camp. Different from all other buildings where a huge structure was built from scratch, the ranger camp appeared as a simple structure that could be easily built by hand, to the point Apollo couldn't understand where all the metal from the SoW had gone as the structure had finished it's building process.

Feeling a bit confused, Apollo concentrated in remembering the whole process that he just saw...

First, at the moment he activated the SoW, a force field threw him away from the SoW. On the next instant Apollo saw the whole vegetation, including trees, plants and even grass, was devoured by what appeared to be a blackhole. After that, rising from the ground, six tents appeared, fully equipped with a sleeping bag, lantern, table and chair. As started thinking it was over, right in the middle of the camp, a twenty meters tall tower suddenly rose up, and then, as if adding the finishing touches, three targets were set in what appeared to be a shooting range.

While the whole kit appeared quite complete, everything looked like it was made out of wood and fabric, raising the question "Where the hell did all the 50 kg of iron I invested to make this thing go?"

Obviously there was no one there to answer Apollo question and, unfortunately, this doubt would remain unanswered for a long time...

"Hey Cindy, can you hear me?"

"Master! Yes, loud and clear! How can I help you?"

"Gather all jobless girls at the ranger camp I just built. I want some candidates for the new ranger team."

"Of course! I will do so right away!"

Using the HQ communication system Cindy concluded her task in a minute and after another 5 minutes waiting, all cat girls gathered in that single spot.

"As expected there are only cat girls left, huh? Maybe I should create a few more girls to have some ranger plant girls in hand as well... But for now this will have to wait, all right, there are 8 of you, I want 3 candidates. Please keep in mind that this is a dangerous job where you will have to fight, so if you don't like fighting, it would be better for you to refuse. So, who wants to be a ranger?"

Hearing his words the eight girls looked at each other, unsure of what to do, until Yuu, the first cat girl who was carrying the boar egg, stepped forward and declared her wish to be a ranger.

"Master, I want to be a ranger!"

"Yuu huh? All right!"

Yuu entered one of the tent and after a flash of light she come back wearing a ranger uniform.

"Two vacancies left, anybody else? If you really don't want it, that's fine as well. It's not like we have an urgent need for them, so we can take it easy."

"M-master, can I also be a ranger?"

"Of course. I don't see why not."

"But I was a farmer before... will I be able to change my job?"

"Hmm... Maybe? I'm honestly not sure why but the system is registering you as unemployed for now, so it should work without any problem."

"Then let me do it! I never want to be a farmer again!"

(Did she acquired some kind of trauma??)

"All right, go ahead!"

Penny entered another tent and experienced the same thing as Yuu, coming out seconds later in ranger clothes.

"I did it! Yeah!!!!"

"Congrats!"

"Finally I will be able to eat as much meat as I want!"

"Eh?"

Suddenly the six girls' eyes lit with the fire of determination and all of them stepped at the same time asking for the last slot.

"Master! Please let me be a ranger!"

"No, Master! Choose me!"

"Me! Me! I was born to be a ranger!"

"Master I-"

"All right! All right! I get it, so calm down!"

"Master please! Me!"

"I don't want to be a farmer anymore!"

"Anything but vegetables! I need some meat! Meeeeat!"

"If I eat one more turnip I will die!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!"

""...""

"Good!"

After calming down the girls with great difficulty, Apollo scratched his head as he thought of a solution.

"For now we only have 5 ranger slots, two of them are already occupied, so even if I want to give you all the job, only half of you will get it now... You know, just because you will be a ranger, doesn't mean you will get to eat meat all the time. Most of the preys you hunt will need to be shared among the base's crew. So if you are thinking of being a ranger just to have meat, you may as well give up now."

Hearing this the girls' excitement dropped by half.

""...""

"It seems like this was not enough to change your mind... Fine, later I will build a mine, and those who decide to work as miners will receive priority in receiving meat for their lunch. Do you still wish to be a ranger?"

"Miner is my call!"

"I've always wished to be a miner!"

"I love the spark of shinny metals!"

"Miner for the meat!"

(Ugh....Can you believe this!? It seems like I will have to find a stable source of meat or there may be a rebellion soon.)

"Master, I still want to be a ranger!"

"Oh! Are you sure? Then go ahead and enter the tent!"

"Yes, sir!"

Nyau entered the third tent and come out seconds later in ranger clothes as well.

"...I know I shouldn't ask this, but, just between us, why did you insist in being a ranger?"

"Because Master said that we need to share most of our prey."

"Oh! How kind of you! So you choose because you would like to share meat with your friends!"

"No, it's because most is not the same as all."

(Ugh! This is hopeless!)