Chapter 823: Reinforcements on the Way (2/3)

Chapter 823 Reinforcements on the Way (2/3)

"Three days should be enough!"

After a moment's thought, Outray tapped his index finger on his knee and quickly made a decision.

"Have Centurion Ross take a cohort over there."

Since Westwind Harbor wasn't appealing to the Empire for aid but instead seeking help from Eternal Night Harbor, a far longer distance, it meant the situation was anything but ordinary.

That was precisely why he didn't hesitate to dispatch his finest officer.

"Yes, sir!"

The officer's expression stiffened, he stood at attention, saluted, and prepared to leave, but General Maclaren, seated in his chair, called him back.

"Wait, I'll go along too." Lowering his boot from where it had been propped on his knee, Maclaren rose from the chair and picked up the officer's cap he'd tossed on the table, putting it on.

Outray, sitting nearby, was taken aback and looked up at him in surprise.

"Aren't you returning to Triumph City?"

Maclaren replied nonchalantly.

"Going back or not makes no difference—I've nothing to triumph over anyway. I won't be returning this year... Don't worry, I'll just observe, I won't interfere with your command."

He was merely curious to see what a rebellion by those rats looked like.

Seeing the subordinate officer looking to him for a decision, Outray hesitated for half a second before finally nodding.

"Very well... Then I'll entrust you with overseeing the battle."

Maclaren nodded without a word and followed the officer out...

...

Near the harbor of Eternal Night Harbor, in a quiet, elegantly decorated mansion, Penny sat at a desk, stuffing a freshly written letter into an envelope.

This was her uncle's home. Since there was no ship returning to Triumph City, she had to stay here a while longer, and with nothing else to do, she'd taken up the notion of writing letters.

There were two letters to send, both addressed to Dawn City.

One was for her father, Vanguard Banot, and the other for Mr. Pangolin.

It had been some time since she'd seen him, after he'd followed her father to Dawn City.

She wondered how he was faring.

Penny glanced at the setting sun outside the window and tucked the two letters into a drawer.

The post office would likely be closed by now; she planned to go herself tomorrow morning to deliver them and check if there was a ship home at the harbor.

Just then, her aunt's voice came from downstairs.

"Penny, dinner's ready!"

"Oh! Coming."

Penny replied, tidied up the paper and pen on the desk, and hurried downstairs.

When she reached the bottom, her aunt Demi was already seated at the table, beside her youngest cousin—six-year-old Bill.

Speaking of her aunt Demi, she was a very traditional Vellant woman.

Whether it was her graceful, gentle, and generous demeanor, or her deep brown hair and high-bridged nose.

Penny enjoyed chatting with her, even if she didn't always agree with her views; the pure Triumph City accent was soothing, like a gentle breeze.

A maid with a slightly darker complexion was setting plates on the table.

Seeing Penny coming down the stairs, she nodded slightly in greeting before heading to the side room for her own meal.

Compared to the Eastern Legion, the Southern Legion treated slaves with relative leniency, while the civilian aristocrats from Triumph City brought more of their traditions to the colonies.

Her uncle Ross served in the Southern Legion, but his background bore the stamp of the civilian faction, so the family's attitude toward servants was fairly mild.

After all, in Triumph City, torturing slaves was neither legal nor dignified; most civilian aristocrats prided themselves on having a servant well-versed in noble etiquette and educated.

Seated at the table, Penny noticed Uncle Ross wasn't there and turned to Aunt Demi.

"Where's Uncle? Isn't he eating with us tonight?"

Demi shook her head gently, a resigned expression on her face.

"He's probably still busy with work... I hear the mutants in the Great Desert have been stirring again lately, and some tribes friendly to us have sent out distress signals."

Those beasts...

Penny frowned.

"Nothing too serious, I hope?"

Seeing the worry on her niece's face, Demi smiled softly to reassure her.

"What could go wrong? We have a cohort stationed here... I'm more worried about you, my Penny."

At that, a hint of concern crept onto her face.

"I've heard the Brahmin Province isn't safe—there's fighting everywhere, and we have no garrison there. I really don't know how Huye manages to keep so many people in line. If you can, after you go home this time, try to arrange a transfer back to Triumph City, or come here instead."

Penny couldn't help but look exasperated; her aunt's words sounded exactly like her own mother's.

Still, she didn't think Westwind Harbor was dangerous—plenty of Vellants lived there.

And she had watched that harbor grow from nothing, bit by bit.

As part of her father's political achievements, she was quite proud of it.

"The Brahmin Province is vast; most states are safe, only the Mammoth State in the east is dangerous. And the people there are very peaceful, polite in their dealings, especially with outsiders... If you'd actually been there, you'd know it's not as bad as you think."

Seeing her stubborn niece, Demi's face showed helplessness, unsure how to persuade her.

Though Penny wasn't her own daughter, she and Penny's mother were close friends, and she had always treated this independent girl like her own.

That was why she worried so much.

Even though *Triumph Gazette* was the Legion's largest newspaper and being a reporter for it was a glorious thing, she still hoped Penny would find a steadier job and marry into a reliable, good family.

"Is that so... But still, it's better to be cautious. You're a girl, after all, and war is men's business."

"I'm not a child anymore, and... I don't think it's just men's business. It's every Vellant's business. We should know where our front lines are, who we're fighting, and what victory or defeat means to us."

Penny snorted, dissatisfied with her aunt's view.

She hadn't fought enemies on the front lines, but she had ventured into them for firsthand reports.

Even without a military rank, she didn't believe her work was unimportant.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening came from the hallway, and soon a robust middle-aged man entered the dining room from the living room.

It was Penny's uncle Ross, a centurion serving under General Oulay.

A deep scar ran across his face, his eyes sharp as knives, giving him a fearsome look, but Penny knew he was actually a polite gentleman—far more so than some of the rough, brutish men in the Eastern Legion.

"Sorry, something came up at the army, I'm late... Please prepare a serving for me."

"Very well, sir."

Hearing the commotion, the maid came in from the side room, bowed respectfully, and then went into the kitchen.

Little Bill saw his father return and immediately cried out "Daddy!" with joy.

Ross walked over with a smile, just about to affectionately ruffle his son's hair, when Demi, sitting nearby, slapped his hand away.

"Go wash your hands—I can smell the sand on you from across the room."

"Alright, alright." Ross smiled wryly, scratched the back of his head, and turned toward the washroom.

Penny, sitting nearby, couldn't help but smile, and only when her uncle returned to the table did she curiously inquire.

"What kept you so long? May I know?"

Ross sat down at the table, gave a hearty laugh, and said in a teasing tone.

"When a reporter from the Triumph Gazette wants to know, I naturally hold nothing back... Ahem, don't glare at me—I'm just joking with my niece."

Seeing his wife glaring at him, Ross shrank his neck, cleared his throat, and put on a serious expression as he continued.

"Something happened at West Sail Port."

Penny was taken aback, and her aunt across the table was equally stunned—they had just been discussing West Sail Port.

"West Sail Port?"

Ross nodded, picked up a slice of bread, spread some meat paste on it, and said while eating.

"Yeah, the specifics are unclear. Some say the Alliance incited a local rebellion, others say it was that Rasi fellow. People have been tracking that batch of arms, and it just so happens that batch is the one involved."

Demi frowned slightly.

"That demon who slaughtered a million people?"

She had heard the name—it was said that to block the Empire's regular army, he had executed a scorched-earth policy on the border of Mammoth State, slaughtering a full million people.

To be so ruthless toward his own countrymen—she felt nothing but disgust for him.

Ross shrugged, already hurriedly starting on his second slice of bread, this time spreading tuna paste on it.

"Who knows? In any case, we'll only understand the situation once we get there... I came back to pack. The warship has already entered the harbor; I need to board in two hours."

Penny and Demi were both stunned, almost simultaneously speaking without thinking.

"So urgent?"

"You have to leave today?"

Ross nodded.

"Yeah, I hear it's an emergency... The journey will take three days, and the Birthday is coming soon. I hope nothing major happens."

Little Bill blinked and looked up at him.

"Dad, can you come back before the Birthday?"

Ross affectionately ruffled Little Bill's head.

"...Don't worry. On such an important day, I wouldn't leave you and your mother alone at home."

Demi looked at Ross with concern, her tone serious.