"Greetings, Sir Claude," a handsome young lieutenant said as he saluted Claude handsomely.
"Nice to meet you."
Claude hurriedly returned the salute and looked at the elegant lieutenant suspiciously. He had never seen such a valiant young officer in Squirrel Village. "May I know who you are?"
"This is the combat staff officer from the frontline command, First Lieutenant Pelengo," Captain Durioro walked over and introduced.
Another staff officer of frontline command?
Claude exchanged glances with Durioro, as if to say, Have you checked his identification documents and identification?
Don't let it turn out to be another fake …
The young lieutenant was rather considerate. He took out his military ID and identification. "Captain Claude, you can check them. These are my …"
Durioro coughed. "There's no need to check them, Lieutenant Claude. I know Lieutenant Perunge. He's hailed as the kingdom's next generation strategist in frontline command. He's a rising star in the army."
Claude hurriedly waved his hand that was about to receive Perunque's identification documents. "Since Captain Durioro knows them, there's no need to check them.
I'm really sorry, Lieutenant Perunge. Please forgive my intrusion.
After what happened two days ago, we have no choice but to be more cautious. "
It was the third day after the four unlucky fellows were captured. Claude had just finished his lunch at the tavern owned by the village head and was about to take a nap when he saw the orderly sent by Captain Durioro. He asked him to go to his office.
Now that he saw the lieutenant from frontline command, he knew why he was there.
"Understandable."
Lieutenant Perunque smiled warmly and said, "Anyone would be more vigilant after encountering such a thing.
Even though the war is over, the troops haven't been evacuated. Nearly a million of them are still gathered at the frontline, so it's inevitable that misunderstandings and misunderstandings will occur.
What worries me the most is that some fellows will try to sow discord even though it has nothing to do with them. Aren't they afraid that things will get out of hand? "
Perunge glanced at Durioro as he said that. It was obvious that he was implying something else.
It seemed that while the two of them knew each other, they didn't seem to be on good terms.
Claude nodded in agreement. "That's right. What Lieutenant Perunge said makes a lot of sense.
We just signed the peace treaty and ended the war. How can someone take advantage of the absence of our superior to frame and harm 1st Ranger Tribe? I heard our Battalion Commander, Major Skri, has been arrested by the military law department of your frontline command. He's charged with the crime of losing our land.
That's a huge injustice. Our entire battalion is crying foul on Major Skri's behalf. Even if we have to take this case to the ministry of war or His Majesty, we'll stand our ground. "
"Umm … well …" Perunge was taken aback. He didn't think that Claude would suddenly change the topic to Major Skri. Combined with what he said, it seemed that the ones who were trying to frame Major Skri were the nobles.
However, Perunge reacted quickly. He smiled at Claude. "Is there some kind of misunderstanding?
I heard about this in frontline command as well. I heard that Major Skri admitted to all the charges.
The case has already been closed and there's no turning back. "
"Closed?
Hehe … "Claude snickered. If it wasn't for the fact that Skri didn't want to drag him and the rest of 1st Ranger Tribe into this, he wouldn't have taken all the blame himself.
However, Claude wasn't in the mood to continue talking nonsense with Perunge. He went straight to the point. "By the way, Lieutenant Perunge, are you here on official business?"
"Oh, official business?
I'm not here on official business.
Perunge smiled, "I'm here to ask for a personal favor from Sir Claude and Captain Durioro."
When he mentioned Captain Durioro, First Lieutenant Perunque even emphasized his tone, as if he was gnashing his teeth.
It seemed that their relationship was rather complicated.
Claude wasn't interested in finding out what kind of relationship they had. He waved his hand. "You're exaggerating, Lieutenant Perunge. We don't know each other and you're working at frontline command, so you definitely know more people than I do.
I'm just a lucky person who earned some merit on the frontlines. I don't have the ability to help you at all.
You must have come to the wrong place to ask me for help. "
None of them were fools. They all knew what was going on and were just pretending not to know.
However, Perunge didn't think that Claude would push the blame away so cleanly.
"I need your help on this," Perunge said with a deep voice.
First Lieutenant Perunque said in a deep voice, but his eyes were fiercely staring at Captain Durioro. His tone was full of resentment, "Captain Durioro said that you have to agree to this. Otherwise, he has no authority to give me an answer."
"Oh, is that what Captain Durioro said?
He's just being polite. Don't listen to his nonsense. He's the landlord here and he's the one who calls the shots here. I don't have the authority to interfere with his garrison's affairs.
Currently, 1st Ranger Tribe is stationed in Squirrel Village to assist in the defense. Everything else is left to the garrison. Captain Durioro is the one who calls the shots here. "Claude tried his best not to get involved in the feud between Perunge and Captain Durioro.
"I'll get straight to the point, Sir Claude. I'm here for the four men you captured two days ago.
Sydes van Lulmke is my cousin. Because he's young and doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, he's rather rash and reckless.
We didn't know that he stole Lieutenant Hendry's uniform and pretended to be an officer to show off in 1st Ranger Tribe.
It was just a whim of his and he didn't mean to offend your dignity.
Young people are always so reckless, but we all do foolish things sometimes. So, I hope you can forgive their recklessness and ignorance. Please let me take them away. I promise to teach them a lesson they won't forget for the rest of their lives. "
Perunge clearly didn't want to waste any more time with Claude and got straight to the point. He took a few steps forward and took out eight gold ingots from his pocket. Each of them was worth a hundred crowns at the national bank.
"This is just a small token of our gratitude for the trouble my cousin and the other three have caused you in the past few days, as well as the expenses you've paid to resolve these troubles.
As long as you let me take the four of them away, I can guarantee you the friendship of our families, "said Perunge as he pointed at the eight gold ingots on the table.
Claude looked at the eight gold ingots on the table first before turning to Captain Durioro. He was wondering if Captain Durioro had made a deal with Perunge and made him the scapegoat. Otherwise, Perunge wouldn't have dared to place the eight gold ingots on the table right in front of Durioro.
Everyone knew that the fewer people involved, the less likely it was to be exposed. The more people involved, the higher the risk of being reported.
Durioro understood the meaning behind Claude's gaze. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "I already told him that I wasn't in charge of this.
His cousin and the others came to frame 1st Ranger Tribe and you. I've already reported the matter to the ministry of the army and we're waiting for the higher-ups to investigate.
But this fellow didn't give up and insisted on seeing you. He said he wanted to ask for your forgiveness and take his cousins away. Then, he told us to report that someone escaped due to negligence.
This money on the table is our reward. "
Eight hundred crowns was an unimaginable amount of money for a poor brat who hadn't seen much of the world before.
He believed that if that amount of money was placed in front of every soldier in 1st Ranger Tribe, most of them would be willing to give up everything, including their lives, for that amount of money.
Unfortunately, that amount of money wasn't attractive to Claude at all. He still had more than a thousand crowns in his bank account. He wouldn't be able to spend it even if he wanted to. No matter how much money he had, it would be useless if he didn't have the life to spend it.
Claude pointed at the eight scrolls on the table. He knew that he had to give Perungue a clear answer. "I don't need money. If you can release Major Skri and let him off, I'll let you take your four cousins with you. I'm willing to bear the crime of not guarding them properly and allowing them to escape."
Perrengue pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I can't do that. Major Skri's case is already an ironclad case. It's not something our families can handle."
"Then there's no other way.
Claude said firmly, "I can only do business. Please take your money with you, Lieutenant Perunge."
Perrengue silently put away the scrolls and walked to the door under the watchful eyes of Claude and Durioro. After opening the door, he turned around and saluted Claude. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Sir Claude."
After he left, Claude asked Durioro, "Hey, what did that guy mean by saluting me at the end? Did he tell me to be careful and wait for their revenge?"
Captain Duriolo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You're thinking too much. Anyway, didn't those four unlucky guys confess? You're also on the list of civilian officers that the noble officers decided to suppress. What difference does it make to you whether you take revenge or not?
Don't worry, the families of those four unlucky fellows and Perrengue don't have that much influence in the royal army.
As for the so-called suppression by the noble officers, it was just to add some obstacles and difficulties to your path in the army, so that you wouldn't be able to get promoted so quickly.
Don't worry, they won't dare to harm you in the army. That would be crossing the line and they won't be able to protect themselves. After all, we commoners outnumber them by a few times.
As long as you don't break any rules and act according to military law, the nobles won't be able to find fault with you even if they want to.
Even if they want to punish you, they'll have to have a legitimate reason. You're not under their noses right now. Without an official order from the military, they won't be able to do anything to you.
The only pity is that the war is already over. Otherwise, you could make some more contributions and be promoted to field officer. Those lieutenants wouldn't be able to do anything to you then. "
That made sense. Claude nodded and thought of Perrengue. "By the way, do you have a personal grudge against him?
I noticed that the two of you are looking at each other rather strangely. "
Duriolo sighed and nodded. "He used to be my neighbour. We grew up together and went to school together. I have a sister who's four years younger than me and one year younger than him.
Everyone says that he and my sister are a match made in heaven and my parents see him as their son-in-law.
"We were still young back then and we thought that our happy days would continue just like that.
However, his father, a viscount of the kingdom, was appreciated by a few heads of the old noble families. He had the opportunity to enter the military industry that they monopolized to open a supporting workshop. Thus, he betrayed us, the business aristocracy, and sought refuge with those old noble families.
This was a huge blow to us business nobles. Their family was seen as traitors, and everyone cut off all ties with them.
Soon, their family moved away and became the lackeys of those old aristocratic families.
Perrengue was 14 at the time and transferred from the junior military academy to the junior military academy. We didn't see him for the next four to five years.
"After that, we graduated from the junior military academy and entered the royal guard for an internship. Then, we met him again.
"He was a noble officer who came to the royal guard for an internship just like us.
Because we were natural enemies, there were a lot of conflicts during the internship. Later, we designed a trap and trapped the noble officers, suppressing their ranks below us, the civilian officers. That year was regarded as a shameful internship for the noble officers.
"Then, he took his revenge and purposely got close to my sister and made her fall in love with him again. My sister was so bewitched that she refused to marry him.
"Just as my parents were forced to agree to my sister's marriage, news of his engagement with the daughter of an older noble family came. My sister fell sick and almost couldn't be saved.
Thus, I found a few of my friends, blocked his way, and beat him up.
"He didn't fight back or beg for mercy. He just stood there and let us beat him up.
He said that he loved my sister too, and that he truly loved her, but his father forced him to get engaged to the eldest daughter of that old noble family. He couldn't do anything about it, because it concerned the fate of his entire family, and he couldn't refuse. "
Claude suddenly realized that the grudges of the nobles when they were young could be written into a classic. It sounded rather melodramatic.
He could only say resentfully, "You nobles really have a lot of f * cking problems. Any one of you can bring up a bunch of old grudges …"
Duriolo smiled bitterly. "The kingdom's nobles are both big and small. There's bound to be some sort of connection after a few centuries.
Actually, I'm quite envious of you. At least you live a carefree life, unlike us who have to consider the fate of our family and the interests of our group at every step.
"This time, Perrengue came with a soft approach. He came with a gift, but they might come with a hard one. We have to be careful."