"Hey, Claude, you're only going back now?"
A bearded lieutenant in a navy uniform waved a bottle of wine at Claude from the other side of the street.
It was already dark. Claude had just come out of the simple three-storey office building of Normanley Real Estate. A security guard in the company's uniform was helping him hitch a carriage onto Jemmy's black horse.
"Hello, Lieutenant Nuit. I just worked overtime.
As you know, there are too many things to handle. Your viscount has a lot of demands and they change frequently. That's made our design work a lot more difficult. "
Claude shrugged helplessly. "You know, things just keep getting more and more troublesome.
You're not on duty tonight?
Are you going to look for your sweetheart, Miss Minilith? "
Nuit was one of the people in charge of the construction of the naval base. His immediate superior was Viscount Wenisk, who was in charge of the construction of the naval base in Whitestag. As he often came to Normanley Real Estate to supervise the construction of the base, Nuit and Claude were quite familiar with each other.
As time went by, Claude became good friends with Nuit. He knew that the 34-year-old lieutenant didn't have a family and claimed that he didn't want to marry, believing that a family would be a burden to him.
But this unwillingness to marry did not mean that the Navy Lieutenant was an ascetic. On the contrary, he loved nothing more than to be a womanizer.
He had only been in Whitestag for a few months and he had already become a regular at the brothels in the old streets. He even rented a house with a young woman called Minilith as his love nest in Whitestag.
"Damn it, I've been working the night shift for two days straight. It's finally my turn to rest.
That's right, I'm going to look for my little wildcat tonight and have a good, passionate night, "Nuit said." When are you going to Kafreizit?
In fact, if you want, you can also join the Marine, so you don't need to be a target on the battlefield. "
News of Claude receiving the conscription order had already spread far and wide. Even Kefnie went to Claude the moment she heard the news and cried for him. She said that she wouldn't look down on Claude even if he came back with a broken arm or a broken leg. She promised to let him live the rest of his life comfortably.
Claude was so angry that he almost chased her out. Can't you think in a better way? Who would come back with a broken arm or leg? Aren't you cursing me?
However, he was rather grateful for Kefnie's love for him. In a moment of impulse, he couldn't help but press her against the wall for a good while and grope her all over before letting her leave with a reddened face.
Only then did Claude snap out of his daze. Was the matter between him and Kefnie settled just like that?
He could only blame his old habits from his previous life for acting up. On top of that, Kefnie was pretty and had a good figure. After she expressed her feelings for him, he couldn't hold back his dirty mouth and hands. He took advantage of her and ended up being trapped by her …
"Join the Marine and become a target on the sea? No way," Claude rejected the midshipman's suggestion.
Claude rejected the midshipman's suggestion. "I might be able to survive a bullet, but even the god of war can only wish me peace if I'm hit by a cannonball.
Besides, if the warship is destroyed, it'll sink along with the people on the ship. I'm not stupid enough to join the Marine. "
The Aueran army and navy didn't see eye to eye with each other anyway. They were both competitors for military funds.
Now that Claude was being conscripted by the army, he naturally wouldn't treat the Marine well. He had already been mocked by the Marine enough.
"Thanks, Paul."
Claude thanked the security guard and turned to the midshipman. "It's only the 11th today. I still have around ten days before I can leave for Kafreizit. At the very least, I have to finish what I have on hand first.
By the way, what's that in your hand?
Gran wine?
It's only half a bottle … My poor Lieutenant Nuit, is this what you call a night of passion is for you and your little wild cat? "
"Well … Hehe … I spent quite a bit last month and haven't gotten my salary yet, so I'm a little short on cash. It's already not bad that I can afford this bottle.
Some of my colleagues even went to the infirmary to steal alcohol and water to drink. "
The midshipman wasn't ashamed of Claude's mockery. Instead, he was delighted that he could afford the gran wine. Not to mention, the bottle in his hand wasn't full either. It was only half full and he waved it in front of Claude.
"That's why I came to you for help," Nuit said without the slightest hint of embarrassment, "See, I'm quite lucky. You haven't returned home yet."
"You … I knew you wouldn't be up to no good when you greeted me.
Come with me. I can only give you one bottle at most. It'll be hard for me to explain myself if you give me more. "
Claude immediately understood what he meant. He shook his head helplessly and brought him to his office. "Paul, help me keep an eye on the carriage. I'll be right out."
"Yes, Young Master Claude," the security guard replied loudly.
There was a case of good whiskey in Claude's office. It was the company's hospitality drink and Nuit would always find an excuse to get himself a drink or two whenever he came to do business.
When he waved the half-filled bottle in front of Claude, his eyes were fixed on Claude's office. His intentions were clear. Brother, you're not going to ask me to take this half-filled bottle of gran wine, are you?
"Get me an unopened one," Lieutenant Nuit said.
Claude shook his head. "No. You should know that Luan is quite calculative. He comes by every day to do an inventory.
I'll give you an opened bottle but you only drank a little. It's not much different from an unopened bottle. Here, it's this bottle. Even though it's opened, I only poured a little for you to taste.
Look, it's only the bottleneck that's a little short. "
"Alright, I'll take this one. Thank you, Brother Claude."
Nuit took the bottle of whiskey with satisfaction and left. He didn't notice the strange glint in Claude's eyes.
He took another bottle of whiskey and put it in his backpack before closing the door and leaving the office. After thanking the security guard, he drove the carriage to the wood.
In the wooden hut, Claude's mother had already prepared dinner.
However, as he came back too late, his siblings and the snowhound had already eaten. Only a portion of dinner was left on the table for him to eat.
"You'll be leaving this house in ten days …" His mother sat at the table and watched Claude gulp down his dinner. She couldn't bear to look away from him for even a moment.
"Mother, it'll be fine. I'm only going for officer training. I won't be going to the battlefield. You don't have to worry so much.
The war hasn't broken out yet and it's still peaceful. Who knows, I might appear in front of you in a second lieutenant's uniform in three years. By then, I'll be a royal officer. "Claude swallowed the food in his mouth and comforted his mother.
After his father passed away, even though his mother's health had recovered, she became rather emotional and worried. Sometimes, she would sit alone and cry silently when she thought of something.
He was thankful that he brought his mother to live in the wood. Otherwise, his mother's body and mind would've deteriorated even further if she was still living in the red-bricked house.
"By the way, Mother, I've set up an account with the national bank for you. This is the account book. I've transferred the rent from the red brick house into it as well.
There's also a thousand crowns for the dividends from my shares in Normanley Real Estate.
After I leave, you'll have to take care of the rent there.
If you're not feeling well, you can ask Anna to look for Uncle Tomas. He promised to help me. "
As expected, his mother's attention was drawn to the account book.
She covered her mouth in disbelief. "How can there be so many dividends?
K-Claude, is there … is there a problem with the money? "
Claude wondered if she would faint on the spot if he were to tell her that the dividends were actually ten thousand crowns.
However, he nodded firmly. "Of course there's no problem. It's perfectly legal. Don't worry, Mother, I won't do anything illegal. I won't let Madam Maria suffer any losses.
In fact, she earns so much more than I do. "
"That's good." His mother finally relaxed. "Madam Maria has done us a great favor. Not only did she help us clear our debt of five hundred crowns, she also helped you earn so much money.
Claude, you have to remember her kindness. It's a pity that you'll be leaving soon and won't be able to continue working for her in her company. "
Claude shook his head with a smile. He was indeed grateful to Madam Maria, but it definitely wasn't because of the debt.
Had it not been for her guidance, he would've still been an ignorant magus who didn't understand the state of magi on the continent or in the kingdom at all.
He was grateful to Madam Maria for her selfless teachings and for not harboring any ill intentions towards Claude, who had learned forbidden spells.
In fact, even when she gave him a wooden hut and three hundred hectares of forest, it was only in exchange for the four basic spells he gave her.
It was only after Claude came up with a real estate development plan and helped Luan set up Normanley Real Estate Development Company. He marked out the land and designed a new community before selling it to the navy, earning Madam Maria a huge sum of money. Only then did she realize Claude's value and took the initiative to pay off Booke's debt. She also hoped that Claude would be exempted from military service.
If he hadn't let her see his talent and value, she definitely wouldn't have done so much for him based on their relationship as magi and herbalism master alone.
The most solid foundation of human relations was the entanglement of interests between two parties. Mutual benefits and win-win situations were the best insurance for lasting friendship.
That was also why Claude felt conflicted when he received Maria's letter.
Having been exempted from military service, it could be said that Maria had become Claude's guarantor from a certain point of view. It also allowed him to wear the insignia of Normanley as a commoner and he would naturally be treated as one of the retainers of Normanley, just like how Luan was treated the butler.
Perhaps it was a treatment that others couldn't even dream of. It wasn't like he was currying favor with Maria, but rather getting on the Normanley family's ship.
However, Claude's pride as a transmigrator made him feel a little resistant. He didn't transmigrate to this world just to be a lackey.
Maria was a good person, but who could guarantee that her family would be the same?
If Maria's children were to order him around, Claude would truly become a disgrace to all transmigrators.
Thanks to Felidos's conscription order, Claude didn't have to go through the trouble of rejecting Maria. After deciding to enlist, Claude felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he felt much more relaxed.
Perhaps it was time for him to leave this small town and see the world. Enlisting in the army wasn't just for cannon fodder. There were also opportunities to contribute to the war.