Because Grandpa Leo, with his wealth of experience, had judged that once the Garratt Family's iron mine had been legally acquired, the remaining members of the Garratt Family would lose all value and would not even be worth the enemy's attention.
Moreover, even if they both belonged to the Tulip Alliance, the nobles of the Iliya Kingdom did not have the influence to conduct a massive manhunt in Faletis, a kingdom that was vaguely the strongest in overall power within the alliance.
So, after Evan and Old Butler Leo came to settle in the small Faletis city of Leopold, they only disposed of a few things connected to their former noble status and did not change their names.
The five peaceful years from age ten to fifteen also proved that the name Evan Garratt had not brought him any trouble.
Perhaps realizing that his expression could easily be misunderstood, Gell stared into Evan's black eyes, sounding both nostalgic and wistful.
"Perhaps no one has ever told you that as you've grown up, you've come to look more and more like your mother!"
Without the name and family crest, Gell would never have made any connection even if he had met Evan outside. After all, there were many people with the same names, and plenty who resembled one another. Yet at this moment, the more he looked, the more Evan resembled them. Gell found too many traces of his old friends, the couple, in Evan's face.
"What did you say?"
Seeing Evan slightly stunned and clearly unable to react, Gell, who had never been good at expressing his feelings, stopped wasting words.
"Watch the sword!"
A flash of white light erupted in the bedroom as Gell suddenly drew his sword. His tall, burly body glided lightly across the floor like a small boat skimming over water, while the longsword in his hand thrust straight at Evan's left shoulder.
Sword Form: Drifting Skiff
The swordsmanship instinct carved deep into Evan's bone marrow made his body slide backward on its own before his mind could respond.
Sword Form: Drifting Skiff
The same technique carried not the slightest trace of violence. Like a little boat drifting with the waves, he lightly evaded the strike. As he retreated to the doorway, he had already leapt gracefully into the air and exchanged positions with Gell, while the distance between them remained unchanged at all.
A smile touched Gell's lips. After that strike, the final trace of uncertainty in her heart quietly vanished.
Names could be the same, appearances could be similar, and even if a noble crest could be forged, the White Sail Swordsmanship carved into one's bone marrow and already mastered to the proficient level was the strongest proof.
He was the son of his old friend Forman, his nephew Evan Garratt!
In contrast, Evan looked astonished. The familiar sword technique stirred memories buried deep within his heart.
"You are..."
Five years was enough for an adolescent boy to undergo changes so great that they could almost be called reconstructive, but for an adult like Gell, the changes were far less significant.
Not even the distance between two kingdoms could stop a Navy Captain. As the friend of Evan's father, Forman Garratt, Gell had visited the Garratt Family estate at least once every year.
In fact, Evan had met Gell more than once. The last time had been five years ago, at Forman's funeral, shortly before that night of blood, fire, and destruction.
So although Evan had been very young and Gell had never stayed long, Evan still had some impression of Uncle Gell, who brought him gifts every time he visited.
Though his memories of the gifts were far more vivid than his memories of the man himself, what more could one demand from Evan at the time, before he had awakened the memories of his previous life and was still a genuine child?
Under Gell's expectant gaze, Evan finally connected that inexplicable sense of familiarity and slowly uttered the words Gell had been hoping to hear. "Un...cle...Gell!"
Smack! Gell excitedly high-fived him, so delighted he nearly jumped up.
"Wait. Tell me, were the black starfish-shaped spots on Katie's body on her left buttock or her right buttock?"
With his mind still in a mess, Evan could hardly make sense of the situation. After carefully choosing a military path for himself, he had happened to join the Third Fleet, the closest one to home. Then, after rookie training ended and personnel were assigned, he had happened to be placed aboard the warship of his father's old friend?
Caught tightly in the mysterious spiderweb called fate, Evan instinctively wanted to struggle once more.
Unexpectedly, Gell lunged at him, wrapped him tightly in his powerful arms, and patted his shoulder hard as he said with a laugh, "Katie was a pure black little mare, your eighth birthday gift. Those black starfish-shaped spots might have been on her adorable little forehead instead."
"Welcome home, little Evan!"
When the two sat facing each other at the dining table in the captain's cabin, with all kinds of delicious food that Gell had specifically ordered the sailors to bring back from shore gradually filling the table, Evan's head was still spinning.
The last time he had eaten in a captain's cabin had been aboard the Yellow Swan with Captain Joseph. But this time, Evan was nowhere near as carefree and detached as before. Perhaps it was because of the sudden turn of events, perhaps because of their superior-subordinate relationship, or perhaps because their relationship had changed so abruptly.
Not quite used to Uncle Gell's enthusiasm, Evan felt he needed time to adapt. Somewhat improperly, he tugged at his collar and drained the glass of sweet dinner wine before him in one gulp.
But because he had never drunk alcohol in this life, he could not help coughing twice.
"Cough... cough..."
Finding his old friend's son again so unexpectedly smoothly put Gell in an exceptionally good mood. Perhaps only receiving news at sea of his own son's birth years ago could compare. Now, out of affection for Forman, he found everything about Evan pleasing and did not mind the boy's small breach of etiquette at all.
"Oh, right, little Evan. I received word that bandits had broken through and occupied Black Rock Town, but a mission delayed me for several days.
When I arrived, the manager sent by Earl Wright's family to take over the town said that it had been confirmed that all of you had died and that your bodies had been collected. What exactly happened? Where are Anita and Butler Leo?"
After pouring Evan another glass of wine, Gell asked with great concern about what had happened back then.
"Oh, is that what they told the outside world?" A cold smile appeared on Evan's young face.
That night, when the bandits attacked the town, Grandpa Leo had been besieged by two Formal Knights of the same level. Even after escaping with Evan, he had suffered irreversible injuries.
Anyone could tell that ordinary bandits would never have knight-level experts among them, much less two of them appearing at once.
Now it seemed that Earl Wright, who had ultimately gained the enormous profits from Black Stone Town's iron mine, was highly suspicious. If not for the act of forging the bodies of Evan and his sister, he might have been an uninformed third party. But now, it seemed highly likely that he was the mastermind behind it all, and he had not even bothered to hide it!
What bandit raid? It had merely been a staged farce!
There was nothing to hide about these matters or his own deductions, so Evan gradually told Gell everything: how he had been separated from his Sister Anita, how they had settled in Leopold, how Grandpa Leo had soon died from his severe injuries, and so on.
What Evan did not know was that the old butler had known Gell was serving in the Faletis Navy. In fact, the correspondence between Forman and Gell had mostly passed through Leo's hands. But after losing the Eldest Daughter and suffering such a sudden disaster, he had not dared trust anyone.
After all, not many people knew about the rich iron mine, and not many could remain unmoved by its value of several million Gold Lions. Even Forman's closest friend could not be completely ruled out as a possible traitor.
At that time, the grandfather and grandson had not truly been at the end of the road. Leo would rather have been more cautious than live with regret for the rest of his life.
But unlike the cautious old butler, Evan possessed Data Vision. By observing breathing, heartbeats, subtle shifts in gaze, and emotional changes, it was far more effective than a lie detector. Coupled with the portrait of his father Forman hanging on the wall beside him, Evan was certain that Uncle Gell could be trusted.
After all, even if someone was a vicious criminal, unless they were a born psychopath, they could not possibly keep a portrait of their victim hanging before them every day.
"I'm sorry, child!" Though Evan had spoken lightly, Gell could still imagine how perilous and dangerous the situation had been.
As for why Butler Leo, who clearly knew his address and the fleet in which he served, had not come directly to find him, Gell did not ask, as though they shared an unspoken understanding. Whether Leo had feared implicating him or had simply been cautious in desperate circumstances, it was all in the past now. None of it mattered anymore.
"I'll find a way to search for Anita. Anita is a true genius. The last time I saw her, she was already close to the peak of Apprentice Knight. She'll definitely be all right."
"Mm. She'll definitely be all right."
Neither the older nor younger man was particularly talkative, and the atmosphere fell quiet for a moment.
Clink... clink...
Only the soft sound of knives and forks sliding across plates remained.
"Come, have a drink!" Gell had never known how to comfort people. Stationed at sea year-round, he had not even spent much time with his own son, much less knew how to get along with a younger relative like Evan. This was the only way he knew.
Evan smiled, raised his own glass, and clinked it against Gell's.
So much time had already passed. Evan had long stopped dwelling on the past; only by looking at the future could there be hope. His enemies were right there, but Evan would not be foolish enough to smash an egg against a stone.
Still, he firmly believed that Anita was somewhere in the world, waiting to reunite with him.
His naval career had already gotten off to a very good start. What he needed to do now was become stronger! Stronger and stronger!
After draining his glass, Gell looked at Evan hesitantly. "Evan, what are your plans for the future?"
"What? On my first day boarding as a full-fledged navy man, is the captain already going to throw me off the ship?" Having shared memories of the past, uncle and nephew had grown more familiar with each other, and Evan made a small joke.
"Hahaha, you brat! Just like Forman, bold as brass! A rookie dares speak to his captain like that on his first day!"
Clearly, this manner of speaking made Gell more comfortable. Beyond Evan's identity as his old friend's son, he had also come to appreciate Evan himself. They were not rigid army knights or musketeers. A navy man needed this kind of fearless courage and quick-witted adaptability.
"Don't want to be an explorer anymore?" Gell teased.
Every Garratt was a brave explorer. That line had even been written into the family motto, and Gell knew it well.
"I'll be a good navy man first!" Evan said with a light laugh.
Before you continue