At O'Neal's question, Elana and the other girls' expressions became unnatural. The brown-haired girl quickly said she had to go home and, after greeting Elana, walked towards her carriage.
Seeing the girls' reactions, O'Neal understood what had happened and quickly bowed to Lex, saying, "I'm very sorry, Major. My sisters said things they shouldn't have. I apologize on their behalf."
Lex waved his hand and smiled, "Lieutenant O'Neal, tonight I'm just a brother picking up his Miss, not a Navy Major."
Hearing him say this, O'Neal relaxed, knowing Lex would not pursue the matter.
While Lex was talking to his sister, Elana bravely tugged on her brother's sleeve and quietly asked, "O'Neal, is Miss Harribel's brother really a Major?"
O'Neal glanced at Lex, and seeing that they had no intention of leaving yet, he quickly said, "Of course, I personally witnessed this officer's medal ceremony today."
"And I heard that Major Lex was promoted directly from Lieutenant to Major. He must have made a huge contribution, otherwise, it would be impossible to jump three ranks."
Elana stuck out her tongue and said, "He's that amazing?"
"Yes, and I am already his adjutant. Major Lex will go to Sea after the New Year, and I will serve on his ship. Moreover, I will be joining a mysterious department that is on par with Military Intelligence Section 9. It can be considered the Military Intelligence Section 9 of the Sea," O'Neal said excitedly.
Elana's eyes gleamed. Although their Family had not yet declined, and her brother O'Neal had joined the army, his future was promising.
If there were no accidents, Elana's future husband would likely be a middle-ranking officer in the army. It wasn't that she didn't want to marry someone of higher status, but such individuals usually wouldn't look at a girl from a small Family like hers.
Even if she managed to get close, at most, she would become someone's mistress.
But now, Elana had a better choice. This young Major, in just a few months, had climbed to his current position, showing his immense ability and potential.
Perhaps, as Harribel said, her brother would become an Admiral of the Kingdom in the future. If so, she wouldn't be able to reach him then.
But for now, there was still a chance, especially since her own brother was his adjutant.
The girl immediately looked at Harribel, making up her mind that no matter what, she had to build a good relationship with her. Becoming her friend, her sister, and then through her, getting to know the Major—this was the fastest way to marry this Major!
One more year.
One more year until I come of age!
It's not too late to work hard now!
Elana squeezed her brother's hand slightly, "O'Neal, you must work hard and make sure this Major thinks highly of you."
O'Neal didn't know his sister's intentions and thought she was encouraging him. He nodded vigorously, "Of course."
Just then, he heard Lex say, "Let's go, we're going home."
O'Neal quickly bid farewell to his sister and stood by the carriage. Only after Lex and Harribel had gotten in did he climb in.
This special carriage provided by the Naval General Office had a spacious compartment. Even a tall person like Levto could sit inside without feeling cramped, and there was even enough space for a small round table.
Sitting next to Lex, Harribel once again carefully scrutinized him, "I'm not dreaming, am I? When did you come back, and you're a Major now?"
Lex leaned back against the padded seat and smiled, "I just got back today. I went home first, and Mother said you were here for a party, so I went to the Naval General Office first."
"I completed a mission on the Sea. I'm sorry I can't tell you the main content of that mission. What I can say is that through that mission, I made a huge contribution to the Kingdom, and this contribution made me a Major."
What Lex didn't say was that he also received a bounty of 50,000 pounds from the Navy. His bank account now held 87,500 pounds.
If the investments made with the lawyer Lyn were added, Lex's assets would exceed 100,000 pounds, which would certainly qualify him as a wealthy man in Backlund.
Harribel was then relieved. She inadvertently glanced at Levto and instinctively felt fear. Not only because Levto was burly, but also because the Marionette wore a black iron mask, and the skin beneath the mask seemed to have some burn marks.
Lex gently held her hand, "Bal is a trustworthy person, a reliable comrade whom I can entrust my back to. He was disfigured on the Sea saving me. Don't let his fierce appearance fool you; he's actually a gentle person."
Hearing that Levto's face was injured because he saved Lex, Harribel immediately said sincerely, "I'm very sorry, Mr. Bal, I shouldn't have been afraid of you."
"Also, thank you for saving Lex, for saving my elder brother."
Levto chuckled from behind his mask, "Don't worry about it, beautiful Miss. You should indeed be afraid of people like me, after all, we are all dangerous individuals."
After controlling the Marionette to respond to Harribel, Lex silently apologized to his sister in his heart; he had lied. Levto's facial injuries were not from saving him. Instead, to prevent anyone from recognizing the Marionette's true identity, Lex had disfigured his original appearance before coming to Backlund and then put a mask on him.
This way, Levto wouldn't always have to wear the Thousand-Faced Traveler.
-
162 Backlund Street.
The carriage stopped at the gate. After Lex helped his sister out, he said to O'Neal, "You should go home now, it's getting late."
O'Neal saluted and said, "I'll be back tomorrow morning to await your orders."
Watching O'Neal leave, Lex smiled. He didn't dislike this energetic young adjutant, and he also knew that he was a pawn placed by the Black Sail to monitor him, ensuring that a captain like himself wouldn't forget his identity as a Navy officer while at Sea.
Lex was certain that there were similar people around Ken Angus on the Wavebreaker. This was a shackle the Kingdom placed on them.
"Come on, let's go inside."
The gate had already opened. Sebastian, the butler with a grayish-white beard, had brought servants out to greet them. However, in Backlund, there were far fewer servants than in Enki Town, with only four footmen standing beside Sebastian.
"Welcome back, Young Master Lex, Miss Harribel."
"Good evening, Mr. Sebastian." Lex nodded in greeting and said to his sister beside him, "I need to quickly change out of these clothes; they make me look like an actor on stage."
Harribel covered her mouth and chuckled, "I actually think they suit you very well."
The two conversed as they walked towards the villa, surrounded by the butler and servants. It wasn't as spacious as the Baron's Mansion, but it still had a garden, stables, and servant quarters.
The villa had three floors and over a dozen rooms. The furnishings, decor, and utensils couldn't compare to the Baron's Mansion; they could only be described as decent.
When Lex returned today, his mother told him that Bison only planned to stay here temporarily and would move to the Queen's Borough later.
From this decision, it was not difficult to infer that this Baron from a remote small town harbored a certain ambition.