"I didn't think there would be such a beautiful white palace in the wood," said Kefnie.
Kefnie said. Her face was red, and her sleeves were rolled up high, revealing her smooth, white arms.
Her reddish-brown hair was scattered across her forehead and there was a stain on her face that she probably got while cleaning the windows.
"Of course, your hut isn't too shabby either. It's no wonder you've been staying in the wood and not coming to town," added the girl as she helped Claude wash the vegetables.
Claude kneaded the chunks of beef in the basin with all his might. The gravy had to seep into the beef for it to taste good.
Since they were going to treat Welikro to a feast, Kefnie stayed behind. Claude said that he would send them back to town after dinner.
Sylvan Siori and his wife, Lancy, were also invited to the feast. Perhaps knowing that the carriage full of old furniture he got from Claude wasn't of much help, the embarrassed Siori brought his wife to the wooden hut to help out. Not only did she help clean up the trash, he even climbed up to the roof to make sure that the tiles weren't rotten or leaking. That was quite a bit of help.
Bloweyk forgot about the pain of losing his father the moment he came to the wood. He played with the snowhound on the lawn in front of the white mansion. There had never been so much open space for them to run around and chase each other to their heart's content. They went crazy with joy.
"It's quieter here and I don't really like crowds. That's why I rarely go to town after I became the foreman of the wood," said Claude.
"Yeah, I haven't seen you since graduation."
But the girl paused for a moment. "I thought I'd see you at the welcoming night, but you didn't come. I was really disappointed.
When I bumped into you on the way home, I couldn't believe you were dressed like that. You didn't even admit it. "
Claude's hands trembled. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
The girl giggled. "I know it was you. Don't deny it. I knew it was you the moment I saw your eyes. You even spoke. I was sure it was you when I heard your voice."
Looking around and seeing that there was no one around, she whispered, "And that night when we were captured by Blacksnake, you were the one who rushed into the house to save us."
Claude only had one thought in his mind: Should I silence her?
"Others also know my identity?
Your sister and that Gerald? "
"Hehe, you admit it, right?
I knew it was you. "
The girl was very happy. "They don't know. I won't tell them. I know you rushed in to save me that day.
Actually, I was worried sick about you. When I saw your attire and your eyes, I knew it was you.
But then you asked Old Luke to rob Gerrard. It was really funny. Gerrard was scared to death. They said you were a mysterious magician and he was very lucky to escape from you. "
He looked at his hands and imagined the scene of Kefnie's tender neck being broken by his own hands. He was disappointed to find that he couldn't bring himself to do it.
She was still feeling smug about being able to discover Claude's secret, but little did she know that he had already thought of a way to silence her.
"Kefnie, promise me one thing. Don't tell anyone about this, alright?" Claude said solemnly as he looked into her eyes.
The girl blushed under his intense gaze and lowered her head shyly. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. This is a secret only you and I know."
Claude finally relaxed a little. As a veteran in his previous life, he knew very well what her expression meant.
However, he didn't want to be a veteran after transmigrating to this world. All he wanted was to study and research magic and live a carefree life. He didn't want to be burdened by a family.
Getting to know Kefnie was only a misunderstanding. Or perhaps it was because of his friends, especially Eriksson, who had been a hindrance.
Just because the previous owner of this body liked her didn't mean that the transmigrator liked her too.
Even though he had to admit that Kefnie was a pretty girl and would make a good wife and mother in the future, he didn't want to start a family that early.
The world was huge and he wanted to see it. He had always wanted to see the scenery of this world and didn't want to restrict himself to this small town.
Claude sighed softly. He had no choice but to trust that the girl would keep his secret for now.
If there were any changes in the future, he would deal with it later. Claude wasn't a pervert. He couldn't take the life of an innocent girl for the sake of secrecy, especially one who liked him.
"This matter is really important. It concerns the lives of many people, including my family. Do you understand?" That was all he could do to remind her.
The girl pursed her lips and nodded. She understood.
"By the way, does Blacksnake still cause trouble for you?" Claude asked.
"No. We're now living on the third floor of Mermaid Tavern. Blacksnake won't go there to cause trouble.
Uncle Aleksim was a good friend of my father's when he was alive. With him taking care of the two of us, Blacksnake won't cause trouble for us.
They're mainly looking for Gerrard, but he's been hiding at the public docks and they can't go in to look for him. "
The girl seemed to have recalled something funny. Her eyes and eyebrows curved into crescents. "The boss of Blacksnake, Butcher Bill, thought that he could rightfully take over the public docks by wearing the garrison's uniform.
He didn't think that two naval warships would come and the marines on them would divide the docks into their own defense zones.
The boss of the Black Snake Gang, Butcher Bill, had aggressively brought his garrison squadron to the docks to capture Gerrard and the rest, but he didn't expect to be rejected by the marines. They said that there were no orders for the garrison squadron to not enter the restricted military zone.
Butcher Bill didn't want to leave and argued with them. In the end, two naval officers came out and told him to scram in front of everyone.
In the end, he still left, and this matter became a hot topic for those who were watching the show. "
Claude gave it some thought. "Actually, Gerrard can't just keep hiding. Blacksnake now has Sir Fux and Mayor Robert's support. Butcher Bill has also become the garrison's platoon jarl. Blacksnake's influence in Whitestag will only grow bigger and bigger. It'll be hard for Gerrard to escape their pursuit.
If Gerrard wants to be with your sister Catherine and start a family, he can actually join the army, that is, join the navy.
From the looks of those two warships, it seems like they're planning something big in town.
Thinking back to the new sea route to Nubissia that my father and his friends set up, I'm guessing that Whitestag will become an important base for the kingdom's navy. "
The new sea route from Whitestag to Nubissia wasn't a secret in town anymore. The fact that the navy sent two warships to Whitestag made many people wonder if they were going to build a naval base there.
The fact that the scouting ship had been circling around Lake Balinga and measuring the depth of the lake made people even more certain that the kingdom's navy didn't send the two warships for a temporary stop. Instead, it was a secret military operation with a special purpose.
"If Gerrard joins the navy at this time and transfers the shares of Shark to them, it'll be a great help to the navy.
Of course, that's only in consideration of the fact that the navy is going to build a military base in Whitestag. After all, the navy will have to fork out a large sum of money to buy the private land near the docks. With Shark's support, they'll be able to save a lot of money. Gerrard might even be able to get himself a position as an officer through that.
"Once he becomes a naval officer, he won't have to hide from Blacksnake at all. He can even strut around in front of them.
"Blacksnake wouldn't dare touch a hair on his head, or they'll be uprooted for treason.
"Also, once Gerrard becomes a naval officer, he'll be able to marry your sister openly.
I'm sure she'll be more than happy to be the wife of a naval officer. "
After hearing that, Kefnie's eyes seemed to sparkle. "How did you think of that? You're really too smart. I'll go home and tell my sister right away."
"Wait, Kefnie. There's no rush. Have dinner first and I'll send you back. You can explain things to them then."
Claude waved his hand. "It's not that I'm smart. Some things are easy to figure out. It's just that I can't see things as clearly as a bystander."
After some thought, he said, "Actually, I'm really sorry about this. After all, it's because my father and the others planned a new trade route and organized a merchant fleet that led to the disappearance of Gerrard's brother and the elites of Shark. That's why Gerrard and the others don't have the strength to fight back against Blacksnake.
"The shares of the docks in his hands, be it the tavern or the warehouse, are like hot potatoes to him. It'd be a waste to throw them away, but he wouldn't be able to gain anything from them.
He might as well give them to the navy and give himself and his subordinates a place to live.
Even though they weren't soldiers, they had worked on ships before and weren't unfamiliar with life at sea. They were the best soldiers for the navy.
Another thing is that the navy isn't like the army. They don't care about one's background and are more lenient when it comes to promoting officers. So, Gerrard will easily be put in an important position if he joins them.
However, you have to make it clear to him that joining the military is dangerous. Becoming a member of the navy is much more risky than being a fisherman.
You have to let your sister and Gerrard think this through. "
Claude didn't say that on a whim. Rather, the number of people who came to see Morssen off during his suicide and burial left him feeling a little emotional.
At the end of the day, Gerrard of Shark was implicated because of the merchant fleet. No matter how much he disdained such underground gangs, Claude felt that it was better to find a way out for them. That way, they wouldn't have to live like rats under Blacksnake's oppression.
"I believe my sister and Gerrard will agree. Gerrard has told my sister many times that he doesn't want to be the acting chairman of Shark, but he had no choice.
His brother handed Shark to him before he went out to sea, so he had no choice but to support it.
If Blacksnake treated him with respect, he even considered handing over his shares and manpower to them before disbanding Shark. He could then marry my sister and become a fisherman.
"I just didn't think that Fatbull Bowen would bring so many men to our door and use crossbows to force us to not resist. They captured us and brought us into the house. They even killed Brother Abrak in front of us and forced Gerrard to hand over his shares and the register. They even said they would sell us to those places. I was already in despair back then. If it wasn't for you …"
Kefnie's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke, but her gaze when she looked at Claude also seemed to burn with passion.
Claude scratched his nose awkwardly. He was sure that he had gone in to rob them and was almost driven mad by poverty.
Saving them was just something he did in passing and wasn't really for her. However, the girl misunderstood. "Cough, cough … Let bygones be bygones. You promised me that you wouldn't reveal our secret, so you can't say that I saved you …"
"Sorry, I almost forgot."
The girl stuck her tongue out and nodded understandingly. "By the way, Claude, will you join the army in the future?"
"I don't know …" Claude felt a little melancholy. He didn't think that even a transmigrator wouldn't be able to control his own fate. "It's not a matter of whether I go or not. It's a matter of when and if the conscription order will reach my hands.
A physical student like me can't avoid being conscripted.
So, there are some things I have to think about and I can't promise anything. After all, anything can happen on the battlefield. "