Gner's decision

That evening, after changing into formal attire, Kronos dragged the reluctant Gner to the appointment.

Alfred's style and temperament were surprisingly similar to Amyrius's.

"You must be Major Alfred," Kronos greeted him first upon seeing him.

"That's right, Major Kronos. Why aren't you wearing your uniform?" Alfred's first words immediately made Kronos feel hostile.

Kronos smiled slightly, "That's just a military rank that my family earned for me; it's not worth showing off."

Kronos is no pushover. You've shown your aggression, so you'll have to endure my attacks.

Although Alfred had been in the Southern Continent for several months, his rank of Major ultimately came from his elders.

After all, he was not yet the man who had distinguished himself in the Western Continent; he was still focused on playing the Interrogator.

Kronos believed that such a rank was nothing to be proud of, yet he continued to wear his uniform and flaunt it everywhere.

Judging by this perspective, the difference in quality is immediately apparent.

Alfred fell silent, perhaps because he also agreed with this statement.

However, Kronos's purpose in coming here today was not to make enemies, so he quickly offered a way out.

"Unlike the Alfred brothers, I've never served a single day in the military, so calling myself an officer would be a bit of a disgrace."

Then he continued, "Let's go in first. I've never been to Gurain before, but I've heard this restaurant is good. Let's give it a try."

After hearing his words, Alfred did not raise any further objections and followed him into the restaurant.

The restaurant has a nice ambiance and offers a wide variety of dishes from different regions, not just those from the Southern Continent.

After ordering, we started chatting.

"Actually, my father forced me to come see you, which is why I was rude just now. I'm really sorry." Alfred's first words were an apology, and he did so sincerely.

In fact, Kronos had some suspicions about this, but Alfred didn't know who Kronos was, so it could only be Message delivered by the Earl Hall.

This situation always tends to provoke some rebellion and backlash, so this force was directed at Kronos.

Kronos waved his hand. "It's nothing. If my father forced me to do something, I would resist very much, but perhaps we can become friends."

Alfred no longer felt any resistance and started chatting more normally.

In truth, Alfred harbored some unspoken emotions. After all, he was the Earl's son, and it would be impossible for him to say that he had no interest in the title.

However, perhaps to prevent such things from happening in the first place, Earl Hall established the position of his eldest son Hibbert Hall, very early on.

But perhaps it was still a little too late; by then, Alfred might have already begun to have some ideas.

So, it seems that Alfred listens to the Earl Hall and is made Beyonder. He drinks the Potion without hesitation and is sent to the army. He goes to the most dangerous colonial battlefield without looking back.

Actually, he didn't give up the position because of his father's words; he wanted his father to see his hard work and obedience, hoping to get another chance.

But Alfred didn't understand what Earl Hall was trying to do. The better he performed on this track, the less likely Earl Hall would allow him to inherit the title.

Otherwise, a House of Lords Earl with immense power, a leader of the New Party, a significant voice in the military, and even a Demigod, would be better off Earl.

"Alfred, what are your plans after this? Are you going to stay here?" Kronos asked at the opportune moment.

Alfred was already slightly tipsy. "No, I want to go to West Balam. I've had this idea for a while, and what you just said solidified my decision. I need military merit, merit worthy of this rank."

The Loen Kingdom has two colonies in the Southern Continent: one is a large colony in East Balam, and the other is in West Balam, surrounded by the colonies of the Feysac Empire, the colonies of the Republic of Intis, and the indigenous areas.

The East Balam colony where they are now located is stable, so there are few wars, and naturally, few opportunities to make meritorious contributions.

But West Balam is different; there are frequent wars there, and East Balam has recently been considering supporting West Balam. Kronos's words just now solidified his thoughts.

As Alfred drank, he described the battlefield of West Balam that he had heard about to the two men in front of him, gesturing wildly as he spoke with great enthusiasm.

Just as Alfred was excitedly describing it, Kronos turned his head and glanced at Gner.

Gner listened intently to Alfred's description, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Kronos nodded knowingly; it seemed there was nothing wrong with the decision he wanted to make.

"Alfred, if you're going to West Balam to provide support, could you take someone with you?" Kronos asked.

Alfred, puzzled, simply replied, "Of course, no problem. I can decide for myself whether to take a small squad."

"What about those without military status?" At this point, both Gner and Alfred understood what Kronos meant by asking this question.

"Kronos, I..." Gner began, but was interrupted by Kronos.

Alfred thought for a moment, then said, "No problem, I can get him military service, but I need elite soldiers."

Kronos laughed. "Gner was an ace in the Army many years ago, but he offended someone and was suppressed. Now he's Beyonder, Sequence 7 on the Warrior Pathway. I believe you have no reason to look down on him."

Upon hearing Kronos's words, Alfred nodded. "Then can I have him come to the base tomorrow so I can test him out?"

After asking the question, both Kronos and Alfred looked at Gner.

Seeing that he had a chance to speak, Gner said, "Kronos, I'm here to protect you. Even if I can't stay by your side all the time, you can't go straight to West Balam."

"You already know my plans. If you have no other choice, then this time has been wasted on you. Are you willing to accept that?"

Kronos continued, "I need you to be a capable assistant, not a lackey following me around. You probably don't want that, do you? Besides, I can sense your longing for the battlefield."

Make your choice; don't waste this opportunity.

After Kronos finished speaking, Gner fell silent.

The two of them ignored all that and continued chatting about everyday things.

It wasn't until the meal was over and they were getting up to leave that Gner finally spoke.

"Alfred, I'll come to the base to see you tomorrow. Looking forward to working with you there."

"Hahaha, don't worry, as long as you're strong enough, you're my brother, a brother I can entrust my back to on the battlefield," Alfred said, his breath reeking of alcohol.

The next day, when Kronos woke up, Gner was no longer at the Inn.

This yearning for the army can only be understood by those who have served in the military. Kronos couldn't; he merely saw Gner's desire and thought it was a good opportunity for him.

Moreover, Alfred is an excellent choice; no one would bully this teammate of the Earl Hall's second son, especially since he will deliver outstanding performances in the future.

Kronos believed that one day, Gner would appear before him in a different guise.

As for whether Gner would side with the Hall Family, Kronos wasn't actually worried about that.

Gner was a smart man, and he could understand that the Hall Family would not sincerely accept someone who had betrayed their benefactor.

Moreover, while outsiders might not know, how could he, who had always been by Kronos's side, not know that the Argel Family's power was absolutely no weaker than the Hall Family's, and what the Hall Family could offer, Kronos would certainly not lack as much with.

Since Gner wasn't there, Kronos left the Inn and wandered the streets by himself.

In fact, his itinerary was already planned, and if it weren't for Alfred's sudden visit, he should have left Gurain today.

We haven't left yet because we hope to wait until the results of Gner's investigation before we go.

I wandered around outside for a while and found it quite boring. There wasn't much to see in the commoner's area at the foot of the mountain, and the aristocratic area at the top of the mountain was off-limits to outsiders.

With his current face, Kronos definitely couldn't go in, so he could only wander around the area.

When things got really boring, Kronos found a restaurant to eat at and then returned to his Inn.

As soon as he entered, a waiter stopped him and handed him a note. "Sir, your colleague left you a note."

Kronos took the note left by Gner and, without waiting, immediately opened it and read it.

"Klein, I passed the test, but because the ship supporting West Balam is leaving at noon today, and the next one won't be for another two weeks, Alfred has decided to leave now. I don't have time to wait for you to come back."

"You need to be careful about your safety in your future actions. We both need to work hard so that one day you can stand at the top and look down on everything. I'll also be qualified to stand up for you. I look forward to that day, and I believe you feel the same way, right?"