"Is … is this a gift for me?" Claude grabbed the black musket on the straw and slowly took it out.
It was a huge surprise and a gift that Claude didn't expect at all.
He had told his father that he wanted a musket, but that was all talk. In his heart, he never thought that Mr. Morssen would allow him to buy a musket, even if he had to borrow his father's name to pay for it.
From what he remembered, Morssen wasn't a fan of weapons and believed that a smart mind was more important than a powerful weapon.
Why did Father buy me a musket as a gift?
As he looked at the musket in his hand fondly, Claude thought anxiously, Is this some kind of compensation?
If I get a gift for beating up Arbeit, I would've beaten him up a long time ago.
Could it be that Father and Mother had spent ten crowns to settle the matter with Miss Christina and bought me this gun as a gift to show that they were treating both sons equally so that I wouldn't have any complaints about Father?
Claude's paranoia kicked in again. The black musket in his hand wasn't second-hand. Judging from the packaging and the gun oil on it, it was clearly new and worth at least five or six crowns.
Why would his stingy father spend so much money on a musket as a gift?
Could it be that he had some ulterior motive?
If Morssen knew what Claude was thinking at the moment, he would probably throw the gun he just bought into the furnace and burn it.
Actually, Morssen's intentions were simple. After all, Claude was his second son and blood was thicker than water. Naturally, he didn't know that his second son had the soul of a transmigrator from another world.
He gave his two sons two different paths in life. Arbeit would become a civil official while Claude would join the military.
Morssen also knew that the military wasn't an easy path. There were very few people like Welikro's father who didn't participate in a single war for 15 years. The moment they entered the battlefield, it was hard to say whether they would survive or not.
Out of a father's love for his son, it was only natural that he wanted Claude to live as long as possible. That was why he wanted to send him to Nubissia after he graduated from middle school. The governor of Tyrrsim was Claude's godfather in name, so it would be much safer to enlist him there than to be randomly assigned to the army.
When Claude said that he wanted to own a firearm, he thought about his future military career and felt that it wouldn't be a bad thing for Claude to familiarize himself with firearms now. Perhaps he might even be able to protect himself in the future by familiarizing himself with the accuracy of a firearm.
That was the reason why Morssen was so determined to buy Claude a brand new matchlock.
Mr. Morssen smilingly took out a small handful of tobacco from his tobacco pouch and stuffed it into his beloved pipe. After lighting it with a match, he took a deep puff.
The expensive tobacco came from Nubissia and was a specialty of the kingdom's colonies.
Smoking was Mr. Morssen's only hobby. Even though the price of tobacco was very high, Mr. Morssen had never been stingy with this extravagant hobby of his. He believed that smoking suited his position as an administrative director very well. At the same time, smoking could keep his mind clear. He could also use the smoke to conceal his expression when he was conversing with others and observe them carefully. It was very important for him to judge the intention of the other party during the brief moment when he lit up his cigarette.
"Do you like this gift?" Morssen was pleased to see his second son's love for the musket.
"Yes, I like it a lot and I'm really happy about it. Thank you, Father."
Claude played along and showed a delighted expression. At the same time, there was a tinge of fear in his expression. "But … I don't understand. Why are you willing to buy me a new musket?
Didn't you say you hate weapons? "
Morssen straightened his expression. He didn't expect Claude to ask that. "Yes, I do hate weapons. Your brother feels the same way. That's because we're civil servants. We're used to using administrative methods and brains to solve problems. We don't use weapons to threaten the lives of others.
"You're different. You're a physical student. You'll be seventeen when you graduate from middle school next year.
"Regardless of whether you're willing to or not, according to the kingdom's laws, you have to make a choice for your future before you turn eighteen.
"Do you want to find a job in town and spend the rest of your life as a commoner, or do you want to fight for your citizenship?
"In Whitestag, you can forget about becoming a civil servant with your grades. The only way you'll be able to get an official recommendation from middle school is if you can become the first in school and surpass all the other liberal arts students. That'll also depend on your luck and whether or not there are any vacancies for civil servants in the town hall.
"The other option is to enlist in the army and earn merits on the battlefield. Another option is to become a marine and serve in the kingdom's naval forces.
"However, I don't recommend taking that path for safety reasons. It's much riskier at sea.
"No matter how heavy the losses on the battlefield are, there will always be some lucky ones. But when a war breaks out at sea, the losses are usually calculated by the number of ships lost.
You're already 16 years old this year. Some time ago, you and your companions even hunted down such a huge python. The whole town was amazed by your courage.
"I believe that your future lies in the army and you want to have your own firearm. So, since you're two years away from eighteen, I think it'll be good for you to familiarize yourself with firearms. I believe it'll be of great help to you in the future."
He didn't think that his father would discuss his future with him in such a serious manner.
As a transmigrator, he didn't care about the laws at all. Being a commoner or a citizen made no difference to him. It was just a matter of paying more taxes and being able to legally own firearms.
He didn't even feel a sense of belonging to the Aueras Kingdom he resided in.
As a transmigrator, he believed that he understood what true freedom was. As a free transmigrator, there would always be a place where he could stay. At most, he could just roam the world.
He had never cared about the kingdom's laws. The four classes of commoners, commoners, citizens, and nobles were laughable in his eyes. He wouldn't be bound by those boring laws.
Just as he told his three companions about his ambition, he hoped to become an explorer in the future and explore the mysteries of this world. He wanted to travel through this magical world and see the culture and customs of the various lands. That was the true meaning of transmigrating to this world.
Of course, it would be best if he could learn magic.
But now, his father wanted to discuss his future with him. He didn't know how to respond. "Umm … Father, if I don't enlist in the army, can I stay in Whitestag as a commoner?"
Only a fool would leave Whitestag before he grew up. No matter what, his father was still the chief executive of the town. To put it bluntly, he was like a local tyrant. He wasn't one of those gangsters, but one who wore the skin of an official.
Claude believed that even if he chose to be a commoner, he would have a much more comfortable life in Whitestag than any other citizen. Everyone would have to show him some respect out of respect for his father.
I don't want to be cannon fodder for Aueras. The existence of that stupid kingdom has nothing to do with me. That was what the transmigrator truly thought.
"Sigh …" Morssen shook his head. "I have to tell you something, Claude. You are a physical student. From a certain point of view, every single physical student is a reserve soldier for the kingdom.
Even if you choose to be a commoner, you'll be one of the first to be conscripted if the kingdom goes to war. It's no longer a matter of whether you want to or not.
So, it's better to enlist willingly than to be conscripted during war. After all, even a low-ranked officer in the army has a much higher chance of survival than cannon fodder. "
So physical students are all reserve soldiers of the kingdom … Claude came to a sudden realization. It was no wonder that physical studies included fencing, wrestling, boxing, long-distance running, metal throwing, and club fighting. There was also equestrian training. The third year would start with firearms training.
No wonder he thought he was in some sort of new recruit training camp.
That's too much! Shameless!
The transmigrator thought indignantly. Initially, he had thought that the education system of this shitty kingdom was pretty good, allowing the students to choose their own path of civil and military affairs. He did not expect that the students who paid the school fees would groom themselves into the kingdom's reserve soldiers. This shitty kingdom had even saved on the cost of training new recruits …
"Actually, joining the army isn't as scary as you think."
"Claude, you're already 16 years old. You've grown up a lot after your illness last year. You know how to love your siblings at home and help your mother with her chores. Your grades have improved and you even like to read. I've noticed all these changes and as your father, I'm very pleased. Even though your relationship with your elder brother isn't that great …" "That's right," Claude said.
At that point, he paused for a moment, probably recalling the scene of Claude beating Albert up. "That's why I'd like to talk to you about your future seriously.
As parents, we naturally don't want our children to leave us when they grow up. Even if you have families in the future, we still want you to live in harmony and never be separated.
But as a father, I have to consider your future. No matter what, I hope you can earn your citizenship.
If it's peaceful times, I can protect you in Whitestag. You'll be able to live a good life even as a commoner.
But the kingdom's external situation isn't good. Nasri and the other four duchies have formed an anti-Aueran alliance. I reckon that in a few years, a war will break out between our kingdom and the other four duchies.
If you're still a commoner then, you'll be conscripted and sent to the battlefield. I won't be able to do anything then.
That's why I've decided to let you enlist early after you graduate and send you to Nubissia. The governor of the Tyrrsim region, Viscount Jerryhausen van Cruz, will be your godfather. With him by your side, I'm sure your safety will be guaranteed and you'll be able to earn merits quickly. "
So my father had already made arrangements. Claude breathed a sigh of relief.
His father's prediction of a war between the kingdom and the anti-Auerian alliance in a few years was something Claude agreed with. Whitestag Morning Post had been republishing news articles from the prefectural capital and the kingdom's news. For example, during the honeymoon period after signing the peace treaty with Nasri, the kingdom's newspapers wouldn't mention the grudges between the two nations.
However, Claude was rather curious about the godfather who fell from the sky. He never knew that he had a noble godfather. Given his father's status, he didn't seem to have anything to do with Viscount Jerryhausen van Cruz. That was a viscount, a rank higher than a baron, not to mention the viceroy of an overseas colony.
As if he knew what Claude was thinking, he said in a reminiscing tone, "I was still very young back then and hadn't received my citizenship yet. I was just an ordinary clerk in the town hall, but I received my fourth administrative commendation for an administrative suggestion I made. The one who came to award me was Viscount Jerryhausen van Cruz.
"When he arrived in Whitestag, you were born and he happily agreed to give you a name. Claude was a name he came up with to commemorate his friend who died on the battlefield, so he became your godfather.
"When you were still in the three southwestern prefectures, he often came to visit you. But you were still young back then and didn't remember much.
"After he went to Nubissia, we didn't keep in touch anymore.
But we still exchange letters every year. "