Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The door was kicked open with a bang, and Catherine stormed into the guest room, "Have you two had enough? What's so great about sweet nothings? Get to the point already! Kiss her! What are you thinking? And you, he won't kiss you, so you take the initiative! With that attitude, you still want to defeat Miss Paratu… Little Miss? I'm so mad!"

Winters sat up straight in an instant.

Anna's face flushed with embarrassment as she reached out to chastise her sister, but she remembered that her "fiancé" was still by her side, and that she shouldn't lose her composure.

"Miss Navarre, and Miss Navarre, I have come here with another matter to discuss," Winters coughed lightly and apologized to the two ladies, "I must make a quick trip to Revodan, leaving tonight. Iron Peak County will become very dangerous, so please, if you can, follow them back to Sea Blue."

"What? We've come all this way, and it hasn't been a day yet, and you're off again?" Catherine was close to losing her mind with anger, "What are you thinking? Do you really care about my sister? She's given everything to you! You should cherish it!"

Winters also felt heartbroken, "I'm sorry… really sorry…"

Anna took hold of her sister's hand and gently asked her lover, "When will you be able to come back?"

At her words, Catherine became furiously enraged, her chest heaving dramatically, "Great, you two are standing together now! I…"

"Don't make a fuss, Kate." Anna calmly soothed Catherine, "I'm talking about something important."

Seeing her sister's expression, Catherine instinctively quieted down.

"The soonest would be three or four days, the latest six or seven," Winters resolved himself, speaking with pain, "I hope you will follow them back to Sea Blue."

"Be careful on the road, I will wait for your return."

"But…"

"I have already come, haven't I?"

Once the eldest daughter of Mrs. Navarre had made up her mind, there was nothing that could shake her.

Winters bit his lip, "If there's anything you need, please tell Mrs. Mitchell and Mr. Mitchell."

"Thank you."

"I'm leaving now."

Anna curtsied slightly, "I wish you a safe journey."

Winters turned and left, not looking back as he walked down the stairs.

In the Michel residence on the first floor, in the drawing-room, another handsome young man sprawled carelessly on the sofa.

This handsome young man wasn't a local from Wolf Town; he was dressed in civilian clothes, but the air of a soldier was unmistakably present.

His belt was carelessly tossed on a side table, a simple, unadorned sword and a gold-handled, silver-sheathed dagger hung from it.

"Sigh." When the young man saw Winters coming downstairs, he let out a sigh, "I guess I can't convince you to come with me, right?"

"Yes, senior," Winters bowed respectfully.

The handsome young man in front of him was none other than Lieutenant Juan, Centurion of the Third [Da Weineta] Legion, a direct subordinate of Antonio and a senior and comrade-in-arms of Winters.

"I brought twelve good men." Lieutenant Juan asked in a carefree manner, "But I've heard you're pretty tough now; twelve men aren't enough to drag you away by force, right?"

"Not enough," Winters answered seriously, "At least a company of heavy-armored infantry and additional deployment of a large number of musketeers would be needed. And they could only kill me, there is no way someone could capture me alive."

Lieutenant Juan propped his feet on Mrs. Mitchell's cherished side table, smacked his lips and said, "Your father has ordered me to bring you back, and your mother pleaded with tears for me to bring you back. If I return to Sea Blue empty-handed, how am I to explain to them?"

"I will write them a letter, carefully explaining everything. I'm really sorry, senior," Winters bowed his head deeply.

"What about your little sweetheart?"

"I hope you can take her away."

"No way, I can't handle her. In my life, I've never seen such a fiery woman," Juan recounted with lingering fear, "Her knife was right at her own throat, and she meant business. If she's willing to go with me, I'll naturally escort her. If she's unwilling, I can't force her."

Winters grew even more saddened.

After sizing up his junior, Lieutenant Juan looked around and sighed, asking, "What's so good about this miserable place? Is it better than a single street in Sea Blue? Why stay here? Don't tell me you've fallen in love with sheepherding?"

"Senior…" Winters replied weakly, "Please don't joke like this. I have sufficient reasons; I can't leave."

"Yeah," Lieutenant Juan stood up, circled Winters, and said in a weird tone, "You're a captain now! A small lieutenant like me, how could I order a captain around, right?"

"Senior, please don't be like this…" Winters became more humble.

"Alright! You just wait!" Lieutenant Juan scoffed, "If I can't handle you, someone else can. On the way here, I already dispatched a messenger, that person will be arriving soon!"

"Who is coming?" Winters perceived a hint of danger.

"Who?" Lieutenant Juan laughed heartily, saying triumphantly, "Your old commanding officer!"