Claude was currently staying at home to be a nanny. Kefnie gave birth to another daughter in mid-February and Angelina gave birth in late March. She and Myjack now had a son.
With the addition of two new lives in Ferde Manor, there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate them. Claude was so busy that he couldn't keep up with them.
Fortunately, Myjack was in the manor as well. He took care of Angelina and welcomed the guests, much to Claude's relief.
He wasn't home when Kefnie gave birth to Tesoray and Belgassi. His first son was in the royal capital for military training and his second son was in the war against Shiks with Thundercrash.
Now that his daughter was born, he stayed in the manor, which was a rare occurrence. He accompanied his wife from start to finish and welcomed the arrival of a new life.
When he found out that it was a daughter, he was overjoyed.
His mother also stopped feigning illness and ignored Bloweyk who was hiding in Angelina's farm.
However, Adele's due date was at the end of June, which meant there were still two months to go.
Bloweyk applied for half a year's leave from the corps to celebrate the birth of the fruit of their love with Adele.
The situation in the autonomous region was very peaceful, and the news from the kingdom was the same. Apart from the fact that Nasri and the royal capital were entangled in a dispute over the three loan sharks, the situation was getting better.
Perhaps it could be said that the 1.6 million refugees Claude moved away had done the new king a huge favor by removing the biggest unstable factor in the kingdom.
According to the reports from Aueran, the reason the Aueran Capital and Nasri couldn't come to an agreement was because no one was willing to take on the debt owed by Stellin XI and Nasri. Some even suggested not acknowledging the debt.
If Nasri wanted to collect the debt, they could go to Stellin XI and refuse to acknowledge it. Stellin XI was already dead anyway, so they could just push the blame onto the dead.
Compared to them, Fredley I was much kinder.
Perhaps he was very clear-headed and knew that things weren't the same as before. It was no longer the same as when Aueras suppressed the eastern continent.
He expressed that he could negotiate with the Nasrian envoy about the loan of 8 million crowns. The capital was willing to repay the principal plus the normal interest for 5.6 million crowns. Stellin XI had only received 4.8 million crowns back then.
However, the Nasri envoy didn't agree to Fredeli's suggestion at all. His two requests were simple. One was to pay off the eight million crowns before the debt expired.
The second option was to sign a loan of eight million crowns for three years, which was to borrow new money to pay off the old debt. However, the loan would be twelve million crowns after three years.
These two requests were naturally rejected by King Frederick the First and the higher-ups of the royal capital. Both sides had been wrangling with each other ever since.
However, the three loans were due to expire in August. The Nasri envoy even threatened to send troops to collect the money themselves if they didn't pay up.
No one took the words of the Nasri envoy seriously. Even if Nasri really did send two standing corps to guard the border between the two countries, Fredrey I would only order the Crimson Dragonborn stationed at the border to increase their vigilance.
Even though Aueras had suffered great losses, the royal army still didn't care about the defeated army of the past. Nasri's threat was nothing more than a joke to them.
With the world at peace, the most important task for the region was the construction of the second railway. The first railway's official operation had given the people of the region a taste of its benefits.
Traveling was more convenient, faster, and safer. Transporting goods was less troublesome, and the volume of transportation increased greatly. The entire overseas autonomous region was like a locomotive, and the economy was developing at an extremely fast speed. As long as one was willing to work hard, anyone could find a job with a high salary.
On the other hand, the region was still carrying out its construction plans. In the first half of the year, the 150,000 men of the two corps would be equipped with new rifles and uniforms.
Be it Thundercrash or Monolith, they each had a reinforced field regiment and special forces brigade directly under them, as well as a mobile light cavalry battalion. Each corps had a total of 75,000 men.
Next, the region would be equipping the 20 garrison regiments with new rifles and equipping the two corps with new light infantry field cannons.
All the ships of the cruising fleet would be equipped with steam engines, turning them into ships that could use both sail and steam engines.
The new iron hulled warships were undergoing experimental development in the shipyard. They were expected to be ready for sea testing in the second half of the year.
.....
Lanu City Southeast Railway Station. This was the largest, busiest and most crowded railway station in the entire Autonomous Region.
"Wow, there are so many people here!"
The long-faced man exclaimed as he exited the train station, "This place looks similar to the capital. There are so many people and carriages, and the roads are so wide …"
The leader looked at the map of Lanu that he had bought from the small bookstore in the train station, "It says here that Lanu has a population of 400,000. It's the capital of the region, the financial center, and the administrative center. It's only natural that there are so many people here."
The round-faced man sighed, "If only the region's army had helped His Majesty during the kingdom's civil war, His Majesty wouldn't have been assassinated, and we wouldn't have fallen to this state.
We used to think that the region was similar to the colonies on the west coast, but it seems that we were wrong … "
The leader's face was ashen, "No matter how well they govern the region, they're still traitors to the kingdom.
Not only did they betray His Majesty, but they also betrayed the kingdom's own people. Otherwise, they wouldn't have declared autonomy.
Once we take care of that lowly woman, we'll see if we can teach these country bumpkins a lesson. We'll let them understand that betraying the kingdom won't end well … Alright, let's find a place to stay first. You guys can go ask around and see if there's any information on that woman's whereabouts … "
"Yes, Boss," the round-faced man and the long-faced man replied.
"Hey, stop right there, wait a minute …" Two patrolmen in black uniforms in the distance noticed the dozen or so men and stopped them. "Where did you come from, and what are you doing here?
Do you have identification? "
The leader quickly changed his expression and greeted them with a smile, "Hello, we're from Crucuya. This is our identification from the customs …"
The two patrolmen looked at the identity registration form handed over by the burly man, took out an official seal and stamped it. The several seals on the form indicated that they had been inspected by the patrolmen several times.
"You're here to buy goods, right? Then you should go to the west side. That's the business district of Lanu City, and it's also a wholesale market for bulk goods."
One of the officers said to the leader in a friendly manner, "You can stay there. There are many big taverns and hotels there, and there are also many restaurants. Some of them are open day and night."
"Thank you, thank you …" The leader thanked them profusely, "This is our first time here. Fortunately, we met you guys. Otherwise, it would have taken us half a day to find something. Thank you so much."
Another patrolman patted the bulging backpack on the round-faced man's back. The leader's face stiffened, but he heard the patrolman say, "You're new here, so let me remind you here. Remember not to bring firearms and long-range weapons with you when you go shopping. It's best to keep them in your accommodation.
If you run into any trouble, find the officer. I promise you'll be dealt with fairly. "
"Alright. Thank you. We understand."
After the two officers left, the round-faced man wiped the sweat off his forehead. "This place seems to be stricter than other train stations. We were targeted the moment we got off the train."
The leader looked at the backs of the two officers and sighed. "This is the capital of the autonomous region, so it's only natural that the security would be stricter.
Let's go. We'll call a carriage to the west side and find a place to stay. "
.....
"What did you say? Blackstone Arms Workshop has created a rifle that can fire 38 bullets in one go without stopping?" Claude said in shock as he looked at the messenger in front of him.
Sonia knew the importance of confidentiality, so she didn't use a hawk to deliver the news. Instead, she sent a messenger to inform Claude.
"Yes, General. I saw it with my own eyes. Thirty-eight bullets were fired in one go after the trigger was pulled. It completely destroyed the target," the messenger replied honestly.
"Alright. Rest in the manor for two days. Come with me to the workshop to take a look."
Claude pulled the bell and Mason Hughes walked in. Claude told him to take good care of the messenger and send word to the railway station to prepare a carriage for him. He would be heading to Port Vebator in two days.
Only the five generals of the Overseas Dominion had this privilege. They were allowed to attach a special carriage, also known as a box, to the back of the train. It was covered in thin armour and could withstand the fire of muskets and light infantry field cannons at close range.
That way, the generals of the autonomous region could quietly think about strategy and work in the carriage.
Claude wondered how Sonia came up with the idea of making a machine gun. He had never told her what a machine gun looked like.
Didn't Liboyd ask her to research heavy cannons that could be mounted on warships after the new light infantry cannons were finalized?
Since when did she start researching machine guns?
But no matter what, Claude had to see it with his own eyes.
Two days later, Claude arrived at the train station in a carriage with a guard platoon. The train that was ready to depart was still parked on the platform. The passengers had already boarded the carriages and were looking at the guard platoon and Claude's carriage through the glass windows.
Claude entered the special carriage at the very back. It had a small kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, parlor and a study. At the very front was the guardhouse that connected the normal passenger carriages to the cargo carriages.
However, the carriage in front of the carriage was already occupied by the guards. They brought 15 warhorses with them in case anything unexpected happened during the journey.
The station master, a chubby middle-aged man, ran over and gave Claude all the latest newspapers he could buy around the station so that he could read them during the journey.
Claude thanked him. Soon, the whistle sounded and the train began to move.
The journey from Lanu to Dorinibla River would take at least a day and a night on horseback if it was fast or half a day if it was slow.
That was mainly because they had to be careful with their horses. They would ride for half an hour to forty minutes at most before they had to dismount or rest with their mounts to prevent them from running out of stamina.
In comparison, traveling on horseback really wasn't as fast as traveling carriages with four pack horses. The pack horses could run for an hour or two and rest for half an hour, so it wasn't as troublesome as the warhorses.
Now, taking the train, they could reach Dorinibla River in six hours. Once they crossed the river, there would already be a train waiting for them on the other side.
That was how the railways of the dominion were divided by Dorinibla River: the three northern prefectures and the five southern prefectures.
As the newly acquired Loki Mountains region was filled with mountains, the railways couldn't be built there yet. So, Loki Mountains was automatically excluded from the northern railway line and was only known as the three northern prefectures.
Claude picked up a newspaper. It was the Lanu Daily that was published that morning. The headline on the front page was' Murder Solved, Murderer Escaped '.
His interest was piqued. He remembered that Lanu had always been safe and orderly. There hadn't been any murders in the past half a year. He hadn't read the newspaper for the past two days. Why would there be another murder?
It was only after he read it from start to finish that he understood that two smugglers died in the residential area in the southwest of Lanu. They weren't locals.
It was said that a female herbalist came to the area half a month ago and rented the house where the murder happened. She was selling a type of ointment that was effective against rheumatism.
The two dead smugglers were a group of smugglers from the Crosua Colony of the Resnia Kingdom on the west coast. There were about 20 of them, and they had probably come to Lanu City's business district to purchase goods.
According to the investigation, the group of smugglers began to inquire about the whereabouts of the female pharmacist from the town of Ancano in Tyrrsim. The reason was that the female pharmacist had used ointment to treat the severe rheumatism of a restaurant owner in Cobicius Port, which attracted the attention of the smugglers.
It was said that one of the smugglers said that his father was also suffering from severe rheumatism and was bedridden. That was why they were looking for the herbalist's ointment.
But now, the detectives suspected that the smugglers were after the formula of the ointment in the female pharmacist's hands. It was very simple. Most sailors and smugglers lived on the ship all year round, facing the wind and waves. As they got older, they would more or less suffer from rheumatism in their hands and feet.
If they could get their hands on the formula of the ointment from the herbalist, it would be like a gold mine that could be passed down to the next generation.
The detectives had such suspicions because the two smugglers who died at the herbalist's house were armed to the teeth. They were armed with specially-made guns and poisoned crossbows. Not to mention, they visited the herbalist's house in the middle of the night. It was obvious that they were up to no good.
Some neighbors said that they heard several gunshots that night, as well as the shrill barking of a dog.
So far, the herbalist had gone missing. It wasn't known if she had escaped from the murder or if she had been captured by the accomplices of the two smugglers. The accomplices of the two smugglers had also left the Mena Tavern in the west district after the murder and no one knew where they had gone.
When the detectives went to investigate, they found that the smugglers were in a hurry and had left behind quite a lot of luggage.
The police had already issued a wanted notice to investigate the smugglers in the region. Claude didn't mind.
Most of the people who came to the region to purchase goods were the smugglers from the colonies on the west coast. It was also through these smugglers that the region's factories sold their goods to the colonies on the west coast.
Generally speaking, as long as the smugglers didn't infringe on the rights of the locals, the police would mostly turn a blind eye to the conflicts between the smugglers.
However, it was a different story if the smugglers harmed or harmed the local residents.
The herbalist in the newspaper was also a foreigner, so it was likely that the case would be dragged on.
Even though the newspaper said that there was a wanted notice for the smugglers, Claude suspected that the most the Lanu police would do was stick the notice at the docks. They wouldn't even send it to other cities.
About three o'clock in the afternoon the train arrived at the bank of the Dorinibla, where there was a special pontoon bridge for passengers to cross the river, and the little station where it stopped was surrounded by a high fence and a brick wall to prevent outsiders from entering.
After the passengers got off the train, they would cross the pontoon bridge and board the train at the station on the other side of the river with their train tickets. There was also a train parked there with the same number of carriages. Passengers crossing the river could use the train tickets in their hands to take the same carriages and seats.
Claude waited for the passengers to cross the bridge before he crossed with the guards. The train on the other side of the river also had a special compartment at the back.
After entering the box, the adjutant, Major Mason Hughes, came to inform him that the train would stop for another half an hour before it would depart again. Some people were queuing up at the station to get on the train from the floating bridge.
It wasn't until six o 'clock, when dinner was being sold to the passengers, that the train whistled and started moving. It gradually picked up speed and started moving.