Promoted

Marissa was tidying up her needlework when she suddenly remembered something. She looked up at him and asked in confusion, "I just heard gunshots outside. They were really loud, like thunder. Did something happen?"

Otto paused in wiping his face, then waved his hand and said in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry, it's just the new army's daily training. The Lord said that the soldiers need to get used to the feel of firearms, so they have to practice for a while every day."

Upon hearing this, Marissa couldn't help but sigh.

She walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked out at the training ground in the center of the Tunbao. Even through the thick stone walls, she could almost hear the deafening gunfire and the soldiers' unified shouts.

She turned her head, her eyes filled with amazement. "Tsk tsk, it's unbelievable. Last year, the entire territory only had a few hundred soldiers and a few dozen old muskets. They couldn't even organize proper training."

"It's only been a year, and look at that! We have over a thousand men and hundreds of muskets. That gunshot just now sounded like thunder; it really startled me."

Otto listened to his wife's words, and a look of pride appeared on his face.

He walked to the long table, picked up the kettle, poured himself a bowl of water, drank it all in one gulp, and then put down the bowl, saying, "This is just the beginning. Lord Karl build an iron army. In the future, the scale of recruitment will only be larger, the number of people will only increase, and the firearms will be more sophisticated."

Marissa's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

She moved closer to Otto, took his arm with both hands, and said with a hint of excitement and anticipation, "Darling, does that mean you're going to get a promotion?"

Otto was amused by his wife's tone. He straightened his back, patted his chest, and said confidently, "Of course! When Lord Karl recruits tens of thousands of troops in the future, with my skills, I should at least Lieutenant Commander, right?"

"Lieutenant Commander?" Marissa's eyes widened in disbelief. She counted on her fingers for a moment, then asked, "How high a rank would that be? Higher than the castle lord?"

Otto burst into laughter, his tone brimming with pride. "What's a castle lord? When I become Lieutenant Commander, I'll be leading a force of several thousand men! Then, I'll ride a tall horse at the very front of the column—that'll be real power!"

Marissa listened with rapt attention, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future. She couldn't help but ask again, "If I become the captain, will I have my own territory? Will I be granted a Nobility title? Even without Nobility title, Lord Karl should be able to bestow upon me a knighthood, right?"

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed slightly, her voice tinged with shyness and anticipation. "If you become a knight, then I'll be Knight's Lady. And when we have a son, he can inherit your knightly title and land. Wouldn't that make our family nobles for generations?"

Otto's smile faded slightly. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and saying sincerely, "That's hard to say. As you know, Lord Karl is different from those high and mighty nobles."

"His troops were all trained by him. In the end, we soldiers are just working for him. It's already good enough if we can gain a foothold in the army, earn more military pay, and give you and your daughter a good life. Don't think too much about Nobility title and such."

Marissa's eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly brightened again.

What she cared about most was never some vague Nobility title, but rather a real life. She quickly asked, "If I become the commander, how much more money will I get?"

Otto breathed a sigh of relief when his wife changed the subject. He stroked his chin and boasted, "It should be at least one gold coin, right? One gold coin a month!"

"Then we can renovate this little house, buy some nice clothes for our daughter, and get you a new piece of fabric to make a dress."

One gold coin!

Marissa's eyes lit up immediately. For an ordinary family like theirs, a gold coin was a considerable sum, enough for the whole family to live comfortably for several months.

She gripped Otto's arm tightly, her voice full of encouragement. "Then you'd better work hard, darling, and get promoted soon! My daughter and I are waiting to enjoy your good fortune!"

Otto nodded heavily, but a troubled look appeared on his face.

He sighed, saying with some helplessness, "Promotion isn't that easy. The Lord has given the order that now, to promote officers in the army, not only must they be quick and strong, able to fight on the battlefield, but they also must be literate!"

As he spoke, he pointed to his head and continued, "From now on, officers will need to read documents and maps to relay orders. If they can't read, and the orders are relayed incorrectly, that could lead to a major mistake."

"This is all to improve the overall quality of the army. It's a strict order. If you don't recognize enough characters, forget about getting promoted; you'll be punished. Sigh, those winding letters are much harder than making me aim a musket at a target. I studied for several days and only recognized a dozen or so characters."

Marissa was not disappointed when she heard this; on the contrary, it strengthened her resolve.

She reached out and smoothed the wrinkles on Otto's brow, saying gently but firmly, "No matter how hard it is, you have to learn. Just think about it, for our daughter, for our family. Think about it, when you become the regimental commander, our daughter will grow up and be able to enjoy a comfortable life with you, instead of having to live a life of constant wandering like we did."

Looking at the determination in his wife's eyes, Otto felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He nodded emphatically and said in a deep voice, "You're right. For you guys, no matter how difficult it is, I have to memorize those letters!"

Marissa smiled with relief when she saw him regain his confidence.

But as she laughed, she noticed that Otto was staring straight at her, his eyes filled with a familiar, burning intensity.

She paused, a blush rising to her cheeks. She playfully nudged him and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Otto didn't speak, but simply reached out and put his arm around her waist. His voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a long-suppressed desire. "We can learn to read later. I've been holding back for a month in the army..."

Before he finished speaking, he bent down and scooped Marissa up in his arms.

Marissa gasped, then realized what was happening, and her cheeks instantly turned as red as ripe persimmons.

She half-heartedly pounded on his chest, but not hard.

She quickly lowered her voice and warned him in his ear, "Keep your voice down... don't wake our daughter..."

Otto gave a mumbled reply, picked her up, and strode towards the bed in the inner room.

The thick wool sheets were soft and warm, and the two rolled onto the bed, making a slight noise.

The sunlight outside was still gentle, streaming through the window and casting dappled shadows on the floor.

The charcoal in the fireplace occasionally crackled softly, mingling with the baby's even breathing.

The small stone house was instantly filled with a warm and intimate atmosphere, completely keeping out the winter chill.