Return to the City

Imperial Calendar Year 1157, April 6th, Thursday, around 3 PM. This was normally the time when the fishermen of Linshui City, after a long day of labor and toil, would prepare to return to the Dock Area under the joy of a good catch to sell their haul.

But at this moment, the Dock Area of Linshui City was devoid of the usual bustling crowds and hawking vendors; instead, it was cordoned off by garrison soldiers, their faces stern yet tinged with a hint of a smile.

Ever since yesterday at noon, when the messenger dispatched by Lieutenant Colonel Merkel had rushed back into Linshui City and relayed the good news—that the garrison's punitive expedition had successfully rescued the kidnapped noble hostages and completely wiped out the Water Bandit Group—

A relaxed and cheerful atmosphere had permeated both the local Noble Council of Linshui City and the Lord's Mansion. Among the senior officers at the garrison headquarters, however, beneath the general ease, there was a subtle undercurrent of envy and jealousy, giving rise to some peculiar emotions.

Looking upstream along the Dorosun River from the Linshui City docks, the river surface was already dotted with countless moving black specks, drifting downstream with the current at great speed, heading straight for Linshui City.

Soon, what came into view for the lord and nobles who had come to welcome them were dozens of boats of various sizes. Among them were even over a dozen small, swift vessels that were clearly Water Bandit Speedboats. The decks of these boats were packed with soldiers standing tall and proud, as if they were proudly proclaiming their glory to the important figures who had come to greet them.

At this moment, Sean was also standing on the deck at the bow. The river wind blowing in his face gently tousled his short golden hair. Thor followed closely behind him, while Phil had taken Vinson and two others to guard the treasure chests on the Water Bandit Speedboat, which was now tied behind the troop transport Sean was on.

As Linshui City gradually came into sharp focus before his eyes, Sean felt both eagerness and a faint sense of joy. But when he made out the crowd on the docks, waving and craning their necks like ants in his direction, he furrowed his brow slightly, then sighed in frustration and shrugged helplessly.

Sean knew that in any world, there were always people who, when benefits or merits were involved, would desperately push forward, eager to make themselves seen. Beneath their smiling cheers lay unspoken subtexts like, "Look, I had a part in this achievement too..."

Of course, if it were a mistake, they would tuck their heads in, carefully avoiding any association with the fault, waiting for the initial sensitive period to pass before throwing out some poor sod or a "temp" to take the blame.

Sean couldn't help but think further: if this were his past life, the scene right now would be bathed in a dazzling array of camera flashes. The lord and nobles, who had come to welcome the victorious troops, would step forward with smiles, embracing Lieutenant Colonel Merkel and the other officers as representatives of the expedition, posing for the cameras in various poses. Perhaps afterward—no, definitely—they would deliver a moving or impassioned speech. The next day's newspapers would run headlines like "United as One! How to Strategize and Win from a Distance."

But this world didn't have that. After a round of tedious formalities, greetings, and welcomes, Sean, in his dual capacity as an officer and a Noble Cadet, along with a few other seniors, received thanks and encouragement from the lord and nobles.

After a conversation that seemed warm and enthusiastic but was actually filled with hollow pleasantries, the entire welcome ceremony finally drew to a close. The whole affair had lasted over an hour.

The only thing Sean felt grateful for was that there was a poor kid even more overwhelmed than he was—that would be our friend Frey. As the victim in all this, he naturally bore the brunt of the condolences from the lord and all the nobles who had come to welcome them. Sean could still see him sweating profusely as he dealt with all the sympathy.

During this time, Sean only had in-depth exchanges with two of the greeters. One was his uncle, Baron Horton. As his relative and an influential noble in the city, he naturally had to show up at every important occasion. But in such a crowded, noisy setting, they only managed to exchange greetings and ask after each other's health.

The other person was the dean of Lassos Noble Academy, Lord Mor, who was already over fifty. Although Dean Mor was indeed quite advanced in years, the impression he gave Sean was decidedly unserious.

At first, Dean Mor greeted Sean quite formally, but soon he started winking and making faces at Sean. One moment he'd be praising the perfume Sean had invented, and the next, he'd veer off into a discussion about the women who used it.

He rambled on and on to Sean about the wonderful blend of noble ladies' natural scents and perfume, smacking his lips with relish as he spoke. His lecherous expression made cold sweat break out on Sean's forehead. This went on for over twenty minutes, during which Sean tried several times to change the subject but couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Finally, when Dean Mor was satisfied and ready to leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something and told Sean to return to the academy next Monday to complete some enrollment procedures. Sean wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, agreed readily, and respectfully "saw him off."

The entire welcome ceremony ended, much to Sean's relief. He immediately turned and instructed Thor to go to a nearby carriage shop and hire a carriage. Then, with great discretion and caution, he and the others loaded the two treasure chests onto the carriage Thor had hired before making their getaway.

When the group returned to Sean's residential courtyard in Linshui City, it was already close to 5 PM. At the courtyard gate, Alice and the others were waiting anxiously. They had heard the general situation of the expeditionary force yesterday after the messenger entered the city.

But because the Dock Area had been cordoned off by soldiers today, they had no choice but to stay home and wait for Sean and the others to return.

Alice paced back and forth nervously at the courtyard gate, occasionally craning her neck to check the street outside, as if she might miss Sean and the others if she didn't. It wasn't until the hired carriage slowly stopped at the gate that her worry turned to joy, and she greeted them with a beaming smile, leading the others forward.

"Young Master, welcome home..." Alice stood gracefully before Sean, her eyes smiling with a tenderness so thick it could hardly be dissolved. She gave a slight bow and greeted him.

After speaking, she lifted her head slightly and carefully studied Sean. When she saw that he was perfectly fine, she seemed relieved and turned to nod and smile at Phil, who was behind Sean.

"Alice, has everything been alright at home while I was away?" Sean looked at the charming and lovely Alice before him, and a fierce flame ignited in his heart. But as his cultivation deepened, not only had his body grown stronger, but his control over his mind had also gradually increased, allowing him to immediately suppress his desires. He kept his tone calm as he asked. After speaking, his gaze swept over the several people behind Alice.

"Young Master, we've all been fine..." Upon hearing Sean's concern, Alice immediately looked at him with eyes shimmering like water, replying softly. Then she suddenly noticed Sean's puzzled gaze directed behind her.

She then remembered that besides Gordon and his four younger brothers, there were also Aunt Sarah and her daughter Nina, who had just started working yesterday.

So she quickly apologized and introduced them: "Young Master, I'm sorry... I forgot to introduce you. This is our new cook, Aunt Sarah, and her daughter, little Nina, who will serve as a Maid..." After speaking, she stuck out her tongue sheepishly, looking quite cute.

After a pause, Alice added, "Young Master, they used to be my neighbors. We lived together for over a decade..." The implication was that she knew the character and abilities of the mother and daughter very well.

Upon hearing this, Sean smiled and welcomed the mother and daughter behind Alice. The two were very reserved, addressing him as "sir" and stepping forward to bow and greet him.

Sean also noticed that although the cook, Aunt Sarah, was middle-aged, traces of her youthful beauty could still be seen on her face. The Maid, Nina, was a girl of thirteen or fourteen, not yet fully grown, but her slightly immature features already showed a hint of delicacy. However, her sallow complexion at the moment marred the youthful vitality a girl her age should have.

"You two will follow Alice's orders from now on... Starting now, Alice is my personal attendant." Sean addressed the mother and daughter in a gentle tone, simultaneously elevating Alice's status from an ordinary Maid to his personal attendant.

"Ah... thank you, Young Master..." Alice exclaimed in surprise and gratitude, her voice trembling with emotion. Her excited hands pressed against her ample chest.

Sean watched with a smile, enjoying the sight of Alice's full, heaving bosom rising and falling with her excitement, then nodded encouragingly at her. In this world, a personal attendant held a high status within a noble household, often serving as the noble's trusted confidant.

"Everyone, quiet down... I have something important to announce." Sean then raised his voice to address everyone present. Once he had their attention, he turned to Phil and said in congratulations, "I formally promote you, Phil, to my Knight Squire. Congratulations, and I hope you will continue to work hard and go far on the path of knighthood..."

"Ah... thank you, sir, thank you. I will do my utmost to serve you..." Phil said, his voice excited and his expression fervent upon hearing Sean's words. He immediately knelt on one knee and performed the formal salute of a squire.

"Heh... Phil, get up... The formal ceremony will have to wait until we return to the family, in the presence of my father and the others." Sean laughed, reaching out to pull the kneeling Phil to his feet while explaining gently. Then he teased, "Remember to join me for dinner tonight."

"Yes, sir, it will be my honor." Phil stood up and replied respectfully.

After that, Sean introduced Vinson and his two companions to Alice and the others. They would also become Sean's servants from now on, though for now, they would have to remain in the status of slaves.

Everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while and congratulated Phil and Alice. Sean smiled quietly, watching it all unfold. After a moment, he turned to Alice and instructed, "Alice, prepare some hot water for me."

Alice nodded obediently to show she understood. Then Sean turned to the others and said, "Thor, you and Phil put those two chests in my room. After that, arrange accommodations for Vinson and the others. Hmm... they'll have to squeeze in for now. Once that's done, everyone can rest. Dinner will be delayed by an hour." He gave Alice a slight wink, then turned and walked toward the house.

Alice immediately followed a few steps behind Sean. The others, upon hearing his instructions, sprang into action. Soon, Thor and Phil directed the rest to safely carry the two wooden chests into Sean's room, and then everyone busied themselves with their tasks...