It was the last day of Year 575 of the Sacred Light Calendar. After today, Claude would be considered an adult by Aueran law. Even though he would only turn 18 on the 18th of the 3rd month, that was the law and there was nothing he could do about it.
From next year onwards, he would be a commoner of Aueran. He would have to pay his own poll tax and the obligations of a commoner to the kingdom. He would no longer be able to enjoy the benefits of his father's citizenship.
Of course, Morssen was still locked up in the military prison. As a criminal who threatened the kingdom's security, it was still a big question whether he would be able to retain his citizenship in the future.
It could be considered New Year's Eve in this world. Last year around this time, the family would gather together and have a lively meal.
This year, however, it was rather quiet. There were only four people in the house.
His mother was still bedridden and didn't eat much. She said that she had no appetite.
His mother was still bedridden and didn't eat much. She said that she didn't have much of an appetite.
Angelina was a sensible girl. She cleaned the house by herself in the afternoon, wiping down the stairs and floors.
She would be 14 after that night. She had completed three years of elementary school and would be able to enter middle school the following year.
But after her father was captured, she was worried about whether she would be able to go to school next year.
If her father didn't return, she wouldn't be able to enjoy the preferential tuition fees that came with Morssen's position. The twelve thales would become a huge burden for the family.
Even though Claude swore to his sister that he would definitely let her go to middle school next year and that he would settle the tuition fees for her, Angelina still looked at him pitifully.
However, she continued to stare at him pitifully. She knew very well that their family wasn't rich. He had no choice but to promise her once more to calm her down.
Bloweyk would be eight next year and he was much more mature.
Apart from taking care of the snowhound with a broken leg, he would often go upstairs to visit his mother. He no longer pestered Claude to play games with him.
That pleased Claude quite a bit, so he took out the tangram he made for him and taught him how to stitch them together.
That night, Claude prepared a sumptuous dinner. However, the three of them were rather quiet.
It was Claude who brought his mother's food and drink to her bedside; but when she thought of Monsieur Morssen, imprisoned, and of Albert, who had come early in the morning to rob her of her jewels, she lost her appetite.
Claude could only console his mother softly, but he hated Arbeit to the core.
That night, the streets were bustling with people. Every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful lanterns of various shapes and sizes hung outside the windows and by the doors.
Claude found the old lantern from last year in the storeroom and lit two candles before hanging the old lantern outside the door.
The changes that happened at the end of the year caught everyone off guard. There were many things that were not prepared for the New Year at home, such as small snacks and snacks for guests.
However, Claude didn't think much of it. He believed that not many people would visit him during the new year after his father was captured.
Around this time last year, Claude was brought to the wargod shrine by his father to wait for the new year bell to ring. Later on, he and Eriksson went to the moon shrine.
His mother also brought his siblings to the shrine of Mother Earth.
Claude believed that the three shrines would be as lively as they were before.
However, Claude wasn't in the mood to go there anymore. He wasn't planning to go to the three shrines to join in the fun.
Claude brought his siblings to the study on the second floor. His sister loved to read, so she would look for books on the shelves.
Claude, on the other hand, was in charge of telling his brother stories. However, the children's fairy tales Morssen bought had already been torn apart by his brother. Booke insisted that his brother tell him new stories and he was rather picky about them, insisting that Claude tell him stories about knights and dragons instead.
Left with no choice, Claude found a popular knight novel from the shelves and told him half read and half made up stories.
Time passed quickly and they finally heard the new year's bell ring from the wargod shrine.
His sister put down her book and yawned. She stood up and said, "Happy New Year, Brother."
"Happy New Year to you too, Anna."
Claude looked at his brother sleeping soundly in his arms and said dotingly, "Go to sleep. It's the new year and you probably can't hold out much longer.
Look, Booke's sleeping so soundly that even the bell can't wake him up. "
"Yeah, I really wanted to sleep, but everyone says that wishes come true when the new year's bell rings. I managed to hold out until the bell rang."
"Oh, is that so? What did you wish for?"
"I can't tell you, Brother. Don't you know that it won't come true if I tell you? I'm going to sleep."
His sister went to wash up and Claude carried his brother to his own bed before going to check on his mother's room.
His mother wasn't asleep yet. She lay quietly on the bed and Claude saw two streaks of tears on her face.
"Mother, do you want something to eat?" That was all he could ask.
His mother shook her head. "It's fine, I can't eat.
It's the new year, Claude. You've grown up.
Time really flies. You've become an adult in the blink of an eye. "
Claude went to the bathroom to get some hot water and wrung a towel for his mother. "Wipe your face, Mother. I wish you a happy new year and good health.
Don't worry about Father. Our family will be fine. I'll take good care of my siblings. Just take care of yourself and get some rest. "
His mother forced a smile. "Thank you, Claude. I wish you a happy new year and a bright future. We can only trouble you for now."
"It's fine, Mother. We're a family.
Get some rest. I'll go downstairs. Ring the bell if you need anything. I'll come up when I hear it. "
After going downstairs, Claude went out to feed the black horse, Jemmy, who was in a temporary wooden shed beside the red-bricked house.
Perhaps the sudden ringing of the new year's bell from the wargod's shrine had startled Jemmy, who was pacing around anxiously in the shed. When it saw Claude, it leaned its long face closer to him. Claude patted and stroked it for a long while before it finally calmed down and started eating horse feed and drinking water.
After returning home, he went up to the second floor and blew out the oil lamp. He sat quietly on the sofa in the study and spread his mental senses to the third floor.
His siblings were already asleep and his mother had her eyes closed. However, she had only just fallen asleep and was still a light sleeper. The slightest movement would wake her up.
After another half an hour, his mother's breathing finally became steady and long. That was a sign that she was in a deep sleep.
Claude quickly stood up from the sofa and changed into the clothes he had prepared.
As most of the townsfolk would head to the plaza of the three shrines at night to celebrate the new year, the garrison that was in the midst of enforcing military control had all of the sentries stationed on the streets and alleys of the town. They only increased the security at the entrances and exits of the town.
So, Claude didn't have to worry about being questioned by the soldiers when he went out.
Snowflakes began to fall from the sky again and a thin layer of white snow formed on the ground.
Claude pulled down the hood of his robe and tightened the scarf on his face. He closed the door gently and joined the crowd on the streets.
There were still many people on the streets. Most of them were returning home from the plaza of the three shrines.
From time to time, there would be a few drunkards wailing and singing loudly on the streets. There were also quite a few men heading to the old street together.
Perhaps that night was the only night that many men could let themselves go. The prostitutes on the old street were very professional and the brothels didn't close for the night. Instead, they became even more lively.
Naturally, the price of the prostitutes on the old street doubled, which was one of the reasons why they weren't willing to rest.
The old street was also decorated with lanterns and decorations. There were also many stalls selling food and drinks.
The streets were filled with people and many of them were garrison soldiers in dark blue uniforms.
It was said that they were given an extra month's salary as a bonus, so they became the most popular customers of the prostitutes.
Claude walked around the old street and still couldn't find a suitable target.
In a place like the Old Street, if one wanted to get information, they would have to find a prostitute, a teenage pickpocket, or a member of the Blacksnake Gang. All three types of people were well-informed.
Oddly, however, Claude didn't find any pickpockets on the old street.
Usually, crowded places were the easiest places for teenagers to get their hands on. But on that night, he didn't see any pickpockets squeezing their way through the crowd.
As for getting information from the prostitutes, Claude gave up after estimating how difficult it would be. The prostitutes were really busy that night. Every time they came out of their rooms, two or three men would rush over to haggle with them. They were truly professional.
Claude wanted to look for the Blacksnake members, but he found that they were all maintaining order on the old street in groups. There weren't any who were alone, so Claude couldn't make a move on them.
After giving it some thought, Claude bought a bottle of brandy from a stall and poured some on his clothes. He rinsed his mouth to make himself look like he had drunk too much and leaned against the wall. He held the bottle in his hand and observed the passersby.
As expected, two Blacksnake members came over not long after.
"Hey, what are you standing here for?"
Claude replied with a hoarse voice, "Waiting for someone. What am I doing?
Those two bastards said they were going to take me to a fun place to play, but in the end, they followed these two sluts into the room.
I walked around and couldn't find the place when I came back. I had no choice but to wait for them here. I wonder if they're still on this street. "
"Then why don't you find a woman to have some fun with?" asked one of the gang members.
"I'm not interested. Playing with women isn't as fun as playing cards, especially when the cards are revealed. It's really exciting.
Forget it, I won't wait for those two. I'll head back to wash up and sleep, "said Claude as he prepared to leave.
"Hey, wait, buddy. Do you want me to introduce you to a place?" another skinnier gang member called out to Claude.
"Introduce you to a place?"
Claude looked him up and down suspiciously before shaking his head. "It's fine. We don't know each other, so I won't trouble you.
I'll go back to the tavern and find someone to share a table with. "
If Claude had immediately agreed to introduce a place to them, the two gangsters might have gotten suspicious of him.
Instead, it was Claude's refusal that made them believe he was a gambler and relaxed.
"Buddy, you can come with us to take a look. Look at how burly you are. Are you afraid we'll do anything to you?
It's just up ahead and not too far away. If you find anything amiss, you can call for help. There are guards from the prefectural capital stationed in town, so nobody will dare to do anything to you.
This old street is under our protection. You can ask around and you'll know that we, the gang, do business with integrity. "
The gang member was rather talented in sales and Claude was almost amused by his words.
After taking two steps forward, he hesitated and finally turned around. "Alright, I'll go with you to take a look.
I'll make this clear. If I'm not satisfied, I'll leave. Whoever dares to stop me will be in deep trouble. "