Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 229 Moonlight
In the guest room of Mitchell's mansion, Catherine kept going to the window to look out and to the door to listen, she just couldn't stop for a moment.

"Alright." Anna, who was reading a letter, couldn't continue because of the interruption. She pulled her sister back onto the bed: "Sit quietly for a while."

Miss Navarre was so angry she couldn't sleep all night. She complained vehemently, "He left two ladies without saying a word or explaining anything, and we've been waiting all night! And he's still not back! Rude! Uncultured! Barbarian!"

Anna held the letter, her expression somewhat saddened: "He must have something very important to do."

……

Winters didn't need to defend himself; the misunderstanding was already cleared up.

There was no misunderstanding whatsoever; Winters and Scarlett had no romantic relationship and no inclination to develop a romantic one.

Moreover, everyone at Mitchell Estate knew that "the resident of Montagne has a fiancée."

Anna's sudden visit surprised everyone, but her presence was not unexpected.

Everyone readily accepted that Miss Navarre was the "resident officer's fiancée".

Anna didn't offer any explanation for this—it was probably out of instinct to protect her territory and some complex and subtle feelings.

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, even Catherine stopped mentioning "going back to Hailan now," but she was still very unhappy.

Mrs. Mitchell prepared two guest rooms for the ladies to rest in, but Catherine insisted on having only one.

The Navarre sisters lay on the same bed from night until morning.

……

Anna clutched the letter, sighed, and looked out the window.

Catherine loved teasing her sister. Seeing Anna's distracted look, she immediately sat down next to her, hugged her waist, rested her head on her shoulder, and breathed into Anna's ear:

"That liar, claiming to be engaged to you without a second thought, damaging a lady's reputation without any remorse. If this gets back to Veneta, who would want to marry you, my fiancée?"

When she said "Miss Fiancée" for the last time, Catherine deliberately drew out the word and blew warm, moist air into Anna's ear.

Generally speaking, such behavior would at best result in a scolding from the older sister, and at worst, a severe beating.

But Anna did not react at this moment.

“You can’t really blame him. The women from the border regions are warm and outgoing. If I were him, I would have made up a fiancée too.” Anna looked at the toe of her shoe and said softly, “Besides, I ran away from home and came to Palatour without a care in the world, so I couldn’t possibly marry anyone else anyway…”

The expected reaction did not occur, leaving Catherine both annoyed and amused.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she simply leaned into her sister's arms, continuing her attack on Mr. M: "He's just a man, what's so good about him? He's neither handsome nor dashing, and he's far inferior to those polite officers at Hailan."

Anna frowned slightly and explained in a low voice, "He's still somewhat handsome, but... he's become much thinner, he's completely unrecognizable. He's not quite the same as... not the same as when I last saw him."

“Miss Navarre, listen to what you’re saying,” Catherine said angrily. “You’ve already started defending him! Didn’t you come here to demand an explanation? Where did your initial anger go?”

Anna rested her head on her hand and whispered, "I... I don't want an explanation now."

……

Anna was initially delighted to receive the letter from Gold, learning that Winters was still alive. However, anger followed her joy.

"Don't wait for me."

What do you mean?
A single, seemingly insignificant line of text negated all her emotions, her waiting, and everything about her.

A daring idea leaped into Anna's mind, making her tremble with excitement and fear: "I'm going to find him."

Anna, who was still temporarily staying at the St. Jane's Monastery, immediately began preparations.

Mrs. Navarre's eldest daughter was incredibly resourceful. She first contacted Good Luck Gold, and then learned that someone was going to Wolf Town to find Winters, so she could use them for protection.

However, no matter what she does, she can't hide it from her younger sister who is always by her side.

Catherine quickly saw through her plan, but to Anna's surprise, Catherine generously agreed not to tell her mother, on the condition that Anna take her along.

"The monastery is so boring! I'm about to die of boredom!" Upon learning that she was going to run away from home, Catherine was even more excited than Anna: "How can you bear not to share such a fun thing with me? Take me with you, I'm also curious about who Mr. M is, that he can be so infatuated with you."

Under her sister's persistent pleading and threats, Anna reluctantly agreed to take her sister with her on the journey.

They first left the Sant'Jean Abbey under the pretense of visiting the tomb of Sant'Jean, whose church is located in the town of Sant'Jean—a necessary stop on the way from Venetta to Palatour, and also the resting place of Gold's leak.

In the town of San Pinot, the Navarre sisters waited for the people who had gone to Palatour to find Winters.

The two ladies quietly left the Church of San Pinot, leaving behind a letter and a mess that would suffocate Madame Navarre. They followed their target until they were discovered, at which point they revealed their identity as "fiancées".

By this time, they were already too far from Hailan, and Anna's will was too strong. She even calmly said, "My reputation is ruined. If you don't take me, I will have no choice but to commit suicide."

However, the other party was not good at dealing with women, so he had no choice but to take the two ladies with him and escort them all the way to Wolf Town.

……

"Oh, you're so silly!" Catherine hugged her sister's waist. "Why are you so easy to talk to?"

Anna remained silent, and the room fell silent.

Seeing that her sister remained silent, Catherine had no choice but to continue complaining and whining: "My legs, my beautiful legs, are all chafed! Will they leave scars? Will they become rough? My back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my tailbone hurts..."

The two initially traveled by horse-drawn carriage. However, after entering the newly reclaimed province, the roads became difficult, and the carriage axle broke. The two ladies were forced to continue on horseback, which was indeed very arduous.

Hearing her sister's complaints, Anna remained unmoved, instead revealing a slight smile: "Didn't you insist on coming along?"

Catherine, enraged, bit her sister's shoulder hard.

Only then did the two of them return to their usual way of getting along. Catherine was pinned to the bed and scolded, yelling and screaming incessantly.

Exhausted, Catherine gasped for breath and said softly to Anna, "Ah, actually I understand a little bit now."

"Understand what?"

“I understand why you were so captivated by Mr. M.” Catherine smiled and pursed her lips. “Although you can’t compare to me, you still have a good eye for men, after all, you’re also my daughter.”

"what are you saying?"

“I initially thought Mr. M was nothing special. But after seeing him last night, I realized he has a certain special air about him… a kind of air different from the gentlemen at Hailan… how should I describe it?”

Anna felt a sudden surge of panic: "Don't you hate him?"

“Seeing is believing. I hated him because he bullied you. But now I admire him a little bit.” Catherine watched her sister’s ears turn red little by little; she loved controlling her sister’s emotions.

She suddenly hugged her sister's waist, drawing out her words in a soft, sweet voice: "Don't worry, I won't steal your man."

Anna blushed deeply and pushed her sister away forcefully: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Catherine persisted, clinging to her sister with confidence, saying, "I'll let you have your way this time, after all, I'm not a bad woman."

"Go away!"

Catherine changed the subject, puffing out her cheeks, and said angrily, "You and I are fighting over a man, aren't you just making a fool of yourselves in front of that little slut Palatour? Humph, that borderland bitch! She has no self-respect at all! She won't even let a man with a fiancée go! We are the noble ladies of Veneta, how can we lose to her!"

Catherine laughed merrily, her laughter clear and melodious.

Anna intended to scold Catherine, but upon hearing the word "little slut," she couldn't help but laugh along.

The two lay on the bed laughing and joking when suddenly a rapid "thump-thump" sound came from the stairs.

Someone is going upstairs.

Anna and Catherine exchanged a glance, quickly got up, and hurriedly tidied their hair and clothes that had been messed up during their playful fight.

The footsteps stopped at the door.

Then came three knocks on the door.

The person knocking seemed anxious, but dared not be too hasty, for fear of offending the person inside by knocking too hard.

"Miss Navarre, Miss Navarre," a male voice called from outside the door, "may I come in?"

It's Mr. M.

Catherine sat up straight, suppressing her smile, looking nothing like the person who had just recklessly uttered such words as "little slut." In fact, she seemed to have a hint of Ellen Mitchell in her demeanor.

“Please come in,” Catherine replied calmly.

Winters pushed open the door, and instead of seeing his sisters frolicking on the bed, he saw two respectable ladies.

His gaze was completely fixed on Anna's eyelashes, the tip of her nose, and her red lips: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

“No, you’re mistaken.” Catherine covered her mouth with a smile, remaining polite: “We weren’t waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.” Winters was increasingly panicked.

Anna subtly pinched the soft flesh on her sister's lower back.

“As Ms. Navarre’s protector and guardian, I grant you two the space to speak alone.” Catherine rose gracefully, her expression solemn like that of a goddess of justice, inspiring a sense of inviolability.

Her gaze seemed to see right through Winters: "Mr. Montagne, although my sister asks for nothing in return, you should know how much she went through to get here. So I hope you will respect her and not do anything offensive."

Winters was extremely guilty and nodded vigorously.

"I'm leaving." Catherine gave Anna a meaningful look and walked gracefully towards the door.

“Please take your time.” Winters stood respectfully.

The door slowly closed, leaving only a pair of lovers who had once been separated by thousands of miles and longed for each other in the small space.

But neither of them knew what to say.

Anna remained the same; time had not left its mark on her face, but instead had added a touch of mature beauty to her.

She still retains her carefree, innocent, and beautiful self.

Winters, however, had changed; he was battered and bruised, both mentally and physically.

The last time they met, they were very close. So close that Winters could sob on Anna's shoulder, and Anna wouldn't ask any questions.

However, Winters can no longer do that; he longs to hold Anna tightly, but he cannot.

An invisible wall separated the two, and the mental barrier was more difficult to bridge than the physical distance.

Winters pulled out a chair, intending to sit opposite Anna.

“No.” Anna lowered her eyes, her voice soft and calm: “Come sit here.”

Winters awkwardly sat on the bed, next to Anna.

The two were a little distance apart, yet very close, so close that Winters could feel Anna's body temperature, so close that Winters was almost scorched by the moonlight.

Anna silently placed her hand between them, and Winters instinctively grasped her slender hand. Anna's hand was soft and burning hot. But it was thin, with flesh and blood covering the bones, without the protection of calluses.

Winters was even worried that his hand would cut Anna's hand.

Anna also felt a sense of alienation, which surprised and saddened her.

She came to her lover's side, but it seemed to have widened the distance between them.

But at least they could still feel each other, and the two of them sat quietly, holding each other's hands.

Anna broke the silence in a low voice: "What happened to your leg? Does it hurt?"

Winters' left leg healed quickly, and he no longer needs a cane to walk; his gait is no different from that of a normal person.

However, the strange feeling persisted, and after walking only a few steps, the pain would become unbearable, and I had to rely entirely on my willpower to persevere.

That's why he started to enjoy swimming, because his old injuries could be temporarily relieved in the water.

Everyone thought he had fully recovered and was back to being the invincible Lieutenant Montagne.

Winters was unwilling and did not want to explain; he had thought that only he knew of this pain and torment.

He didn't need to seek comfort from others, as he stubbornly believed that it would be pointless.

Anna was the first person to ask him if it hurt.

"It hurts." Winters' eyes welled up with tears uncontrollably. "It really hurts, it's been hurting for a long time."

Anna leaned down, and Winters tried to stop her.

But Anna firmly told Winters, "I want to see."

Winters's trousers were rolled up little by little, and his left leg, which had been broken by the horse's hooves, was almost uninjured, with only a faint red mark.

Anna's fingertips traced the dark red mark: "It's almost invisible from the outside."

"Ah."

“But what about inside?” Anna rested her forehead on her lover’s knee and gently hugged his left leg. “Shouldn’t it be completely different now?”

Winters fought back tears and said, "Yes."

Anna lowered her rolled-up trouser legs, carefully smoothed out the wrinkles, and sat back down next to Winters.

This time, the two were very close together, standing right next to each other.

“I don’t want you to stay here.” Winters looked at Anna’s hair, not daring to look her in the eye. “Iron Peak County is going to become very unsafe.”

“You have gray hairs.” Anna didn’t answer directly; instead, she gently wrapped her arms around her lover. “Shall I pluck your gray hairs?”

Winters nestled obediently on Anna's lap like a puppy.

Anna gently stroked the pale white mark on her lover's forehead: "The wound here hasn't healed yet."

Winters felt the warmth and softness of Anna's body and gently hummed in agreement.

"It may never heal completely."

"Ah."

“It’s okay.” Anna ran her fingers through her lover’s hair. “Anyway, you’re not handsome.”

Winters shifted his neck slightly, looking somewhat uneasy.

Anna sensed her lover's anxiety and gently plucked a gray hair: "However, you are still quite handsome... Some people say you have a very good demeanor."

“Hmm.” Winters nodded.

"Don't move."

"Ah."

The two pressed close together, Anna searching for Winters's intermittently visible white hairs.

"Why don't you go home? You promised you would," Anna asked gently.

Winters was overwhelmed with thoughts.

He thought of the piles of severed limbs outside the medical station, the feel of blood on his cheeks and in his eyes, the faces of the soldiers, the farmers from Wolf Town who, despite their despair, still brought him their few eggs to visit him, the old woman waiting for her son to return home, the girl from St. Giselle Valley who was brutally murdered—she was not even fourteen years old—and the smiling faces of everyone. He thought of so many things…

But he couldn't tell Anna.

I don't know why, but I can't say it, and I don't know where to begin.

“I…I don’t know either,” Winters replied bitterly. “I don’t know how to explain it, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Anna hugged her lover and gently kissed his forehead. “You can tell me slowly later. I’m willing to listen. You can spend your whole life telling me.”

In an instant, Winters burst into tears. His body trembled, and tears dripped onto Anna's clothes, soaking the fabric.

Anna didn't ask why; she just hugged her lover and silently shed tears.

The two nestled together, weeping. Anna unconsciously began to hum a lullaby—a lullaby her mother had sung to her when she was a child.

"Thank you," Winters said softly.

"Why should I thank you?"

“Thank you, you’re wonderful.” Winters’ tears streamed down her face. “It’s so wonderful, you’re even more wonderful than I imagined.”

Anna burst into laughter through her tears, and gave Winters a hard tug on the hair: "You naughty thing!"

Winters laughed too.

“And what about me?” Winters asked worriedly. “What kind of person do you imagine me to be?”

Anna nestled her head against Winters's, gently swaying her body, and said softly, "A lot has changed, but many things haven't. You're not quite the same as I remember you, but I... I still..."

The door was kicked open with a bang, and Catherine stormed into the guest room, furious: "Are you two ever going to stop?! What's with all the sweet talk? Get to the point! Kiss her! What are you thinking? And you, if he won't kiss you, you should take the initiative! With your attitude, you think you can beat Miss Palatour... Miss Palatour? You're driving me crazy!"

Winters sat up straight in an instant.

Anna blushed deeply and reached out to scold her sister, but then remembered that her "fiancé" was still beside her and she couldn't lose her composure.

“Miss Navarre, and Miss Navarre, I have another matter to discuss with you.” Winters coughed lightly and apologized to the two ladies. “I must go to Gervodan as soon as possible; I must leave tonight. Iron Peak County is going to become very dangerous. If possible, please return to Hailan with them.”

"What? We've come all this way, and it's not even been a day, and you're already leaving again?" Catherine was furious. "What are you thinking? Do you even care about my sister? She's given you everything! Why don't you appreciate it?!"

Winters was also deeply saddened: "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Anna pulled her sister aside and gently asked her lover, "When will you be back?"

Catherine was furious upon hearing this, her chest heaving violently: "Fine, so you two are standing together now! I..."

“Stop fooling around, Kate,” Anna calmly reassured Catherine. “I’m talking about serious matters.”

Seeing her sister's expression, Catherine instinctively became quiet.

“It will take three or four days at the fastest, and six or seven days at the slowest.” Winters made up his mind and said painfully, “I hope you will follow them back to Hailan.”

"Take care on the road, I'll be waiting for you to come back."

"But……"

"I'm already here, aren't I?"

Once Madame Navarre's eldest daughter made up her mind, nothing could sway her.

Winters gritted his teeth: "If there is anything needed, please inform Mrs. Mitchell and Mr. Little Mitchell."

"Thank you."

"I am leaving."

Anna curtsied slightly: "I wish you a safe journey."

Winters turned around and walked down the stairs without looking back.

On the first floor of Mitchell's mansion, in the living room, another handsome young man sat casually on the sofa.

This handsome young man was not a local of Wolf Town. He was dressed in civilian clothes, but his military bearing was unmistakable.

His belt was carelessly tossed on the small table, with a simple, unadorned sword and a dagger with a gold hilt and silver sheath hanging from it.

"Sigh." The young man sighed as he watched Winters come downstairs. "I can't persuade you to come with me, can I?"

“Yes, senior.” Winters bowed respectfully.

The handsome young man before him was none other than Lieutenant Don Juan, centurion of the Third [Gran Veneta] Legion, Antonio's direct subordinate, Winters' senior and comrade-in-arms.

“I brought twelve skilled men,” Lieutenant Juan asked without any hesitation. “But I’ve heard you’re quite formidable now, and twelve men wouldn’t be enough to forcibly take you away, would they?”

“Not enough,” Winters replied seriously. “We need at least a hundred heavily armored men, plus a large number of musketeers, to avoid close combat with me as much as possible. And they can only kill me, because I cannot be captured alive.”

Lieutenant Juan propped his legs up on Mrs. Mitchell's cherished small table, clicked his tongue, and said, "Your father strictly ordered me to bring you back, and your mother begged me to bring you back with tears in her eyes. How am I supposed to explain to them if I go back to Hailan empty-handed?"

“I will write them a letter and explain in detail. I’m really sorry, senior.” Winters bowed his head deeply.

"What about your little lover?"

"I want you to take her away."

"No way, I can't handle her. I've never seen such a fierce lady in my life." Don Juan said with lingering fear, "She had a knife to her own throat, and she meant it. If she's willing to come with me, I'll naturally escort her. If she's not willing, I can't force her."

Winters felt increasingly saddened.

Juan scrutinized his junior, then looked around, sighed, and asked, "What's so great about this lousy place? Is it even as good as Hailan Street? Why are you staying here? Have you fallen in love with the Sun Aries too?"

“Senior…” Winters replied weakly, “Please don’t joke like that. I have a good reason not to leave.”

“Yes,” Don Juan stood up, circled Winters, and said in a strange tone, “You’re a captain now! How can a mere lieutenant like me give orders to a captain? Isn’t that right?”

"Senior, please don't do this..." Winters became increasingly humble.

"Alright! You just wait!" Don Juan sneered. "I can't handle you, but someone else can. I sent a messenger on the way, and that person will be here soon!"

"Who goes there?" Winters sensed a hint of danger.

"Who is it?" Don Juan laughed heartily, saying with delight, "Your old superior!"

[So the question is, who exactly is capable of punishing "Winters Elite Spellcaster - Blood Wolf - Head-Grabbing Monster - Paratul Champion - Headshot Demon Montagne"?]
Although Winters and Anna still have a rift, they are both certain that their hearts still belong to each other.
Even Madame Navarre misjudged her, underestimating her daughter's stubbornness. Anna Navarre wasn't just outwardly gentle but inwardly strong; she was outwardly gentle but inwardly fierce. Once she made up her mind, she truly wouldn't waver.
[Today's chapter is also long, with 6347 words.]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)