"What's wrong?" Seeing that Winters held the door handle and made no move, Moritz's expression was a little complicated: "You came back to me, maybe you just want me to help you with the accusation..."

Winters replied sternly: "Of course not. You still have to explain the information about the unidentified spell user yourself."

"Sooner or later, this day will come." Moritz chuckled and said leisurely: "There is no escape."

The lieutenant colonel seemed magnanimous, but in fact he had completely given up struggling. It is commonly said that a dead rat is not afraid of the cold.

Unable to escape, Winters knocked on the door bravely.

A mellow male voice came from the room: "Please come in."

Winters opened the door stiffly and greeted as calmly and casually as possible: "Colonel Buca Chino... your alias is so random."

Lieutenant Colonel Moritz, who followed him through the door, stood at attention solemnly, raised his hand and saluted solemnly: "Lieutenant General."

Lieutenant General of the Army of the Republic of Veneta, Antonio Serbetti nodded in return, and then looked at Winters.

At what point did the father realize that his son was already on an equal footing with him? We don’t know.

But there must be an opportunity where the lion realizes that his cub has grown a mane, and the father realizes that his son has grown up.

When that moment inevitably came, the emotions that flooded into my father's heart were not only relief and joy, but also sadness and anger.

Some fathers choose to embrace it calmly, while some fathers cannot bear it for the rest of their lives.

Antonio looked at Winters Montagne like this, from left to right, from head to toe.

It is as if a craftsman is gazing at the most proud work of his life, and as if a lion is gazing at its challenger.

Winters felt a little uncomfortable, so he stood at attention and saluted politely.

Antonio did not return the favor. He put his hand on Winters' shoulder and said with a variety of emotions, but with relief: "Oh... I'm old."

Winters, the little bastard, cannot understand Antonio's emotions. He is still young, like the rising sun, and has never been a father.

Unless one day, he is defeated by the children he raised by himself, Angel, Charles, and Bell, he will be able to understand one ten thousandth of the turmoil in Antonio's heart at this moment.

But it's a pity that the little ones haven't reached the "rebellious stage" yet. When they see Winters, they are as honest as puppies and only wag their tails vigorously. Naturally, Winters can't understand Antonio.

"You...don't be like this." Winters said awkwardly, "Lieutenant Colonel, I still have something to report to you."

After saying that, Winters looked at Moritz with eyes pleading for help. The message in his eyes was very clear: Help!

Moritz knew the reason why he was specially sought out.

He took half a step back and asked politely: "General, may I come to visit you later?"

The room was completely quiet.

"No need." Antonio waved his hand, sat back at the table, and motioned for Winters and Moritz to sit down as well.

Winters breathed a sigh of relief.

When Winters was very young, Antonio said something to him. Winters has completely forgotten the specific words, but he only remembers that the meaning was roughly "We are men, and men don't exchange emotions with each other."

Antonio did it this way, and Winters learned it this way.

The ascetic military academy education has further strengthened this point. In a society composed purely of men, weaklings will be bullied.

Therefore, Winters was at a loss when faced with his adoptive father's sudden display of emotion.

He had imagined many situations in advance, but never thought that Antonio would say "Oh, I'm old."

Fortunately, the most difficult part was over. Winters sat down and carefully selected and told Antonio about his experiences after leaving the Red River Department, excluding some of the more arrogant parts.

During the story, Winters carefully paid attention to Antonio's expression.

He was actually very scared. He was afraid that his adoptive father would disapprovingly say, "Aren't you just playing house?"

Winters doesn't care what others think of him, or rather, he chooses not to care. But he hopes to get approval from his adoptive father, even the smallest approval.

Antonio didn't make any judgments, he just listened patiently, nodding from time to time, and occasionally asking questions.

The only praise Antonio gave was: "Your soldiers are good. Although their equipment and training are poor, they are very energetic."

After the story about Winters was finished, Antonio looked at Moritz: "The unidentified spell user is in Tiefeng County?"

"Yes." Moritz's tone became very formal: "The expression form of the unnatural phenomenon is consistent with the situation described in the [Red Sulfur Island Report]. Based on this, it is speculated that the Telton Department can control high-level spell users .”

Winters heard an unfamiliar phrase: "Red Sulfur Island Report."

He looked at his adoptive father and old boss. Apparently he was the only one of the three people here who didn't know what the "Red Sulfur Island Report" was.

Moritz continued: "But it is very strange that in the next two major battles, the Telton Department did not receive support from any high-level spell users."

After learning that "a large wave appeared out of thin air and overturned the Tiefeng County fleet", Lieutenant Colonel Moritz Van Nassou disappeared.

To be precise, Moritz began to move freely, no longer obeying Mason's deployment, and no longer provided direct support to the Iron Peak County Army.

Mason was initially very annoyed. He jokingly said, half jokingly, half complaining, that "the lieutenant colonel was in hunting mode."

Winters understood Moritz's decision very well because he felt the same way.

Although spell users who directly participate in the battle are also scary, unknown spell users are the most dangerous.

Once any high-value target appears in front of a hidden spell user, it is likely to be killed without even being able to react.

Therefore, in the main battle with the Firewarmers, Winters did not participate in the assault until the last moment. Afterwards, Bard was so angry that he almost went crazy, and even Ciel was severely punished.

Considering that there might be spell users in Teltown's department, Bard firmly prohibited Winters from participating in any actions that might expose him, and Winters also wrote a letter of guarantee.

Of course, it turned out later that the guarantee was nothing but a piece of paper. With Bud and Mason gone, who could control the blood wolf?

Antonio pondered and asked: "Is it possible that he is a priest of the Hed tribe? Divine magic?"

"It's possible. But judging from the actual performance, it is more likely to be a magician, a spell caster from the United Provinces, or..." Moritz paused for a moment and slowly said a proper noun: "[Oathbreaker] .”

Antonio was not surprised. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table; "Complete the writing of the report as soon as possible, and I will personally bring Hailan back."

"yes."

The conversation between his adoptive father and the lieutenant colonel had entered unknown territory for Winters. He could roughly guess it, but he still wanted to hear more.

But the conversation between Antonio and Moritz was over.

Antonio looked at Winters. Winters felt nervous and quickly changed the subject: "I know a person. That person should know the inside story of the Telton Department! There is a high probability that he also knows the details of the spell users."

"Oh? Who?"

"The counselor of the Fire-warmer, he usually works as an interpreter in Tel Dun Khan Camp." Winters tried hard to recall the other person's name, but quickly gave up: "As for the real name... I don't know it yet."

"Where are the people?

"He may be among the prisoners, he may still be on the run, or he may be dead." Winters said firmly: "But he will never leave Tiefeng County, he is between the two rivers."

Winters then explained: "The man spoke the common language very well, and when he changed his clothes, he looked like an old man who can be seen everywhere. The heads and prisoners have not all been screened, and the fleeing Telton people have not been captured, so the man's

His whereabouts are unknown. But sooner or later he will be caught alive and dead."

There was silence in the room again, and Antonio shook his head: "We'll talk about those things later, but let's talk about you first."

"I'm more surprised that you appeared in Tiefeng County." Winters still can't fully accept it until now, and he even seems to be dreaming: "What should we do with the Third Army? Has the situation with the United Provinces eased? You... what on earth are you?

How did you get here?"

"I won't come." Antonio sighed: "Who else can take you away?"

Oops, Winters is getting worried.

"You kid, you are so cruel." Antonio looked at Winters reproachfully: "You left your sister and your aunt all in Hailan, you...what do you want me to say about you?"

Winters lowered his head, unable to answer.

His worst fear finally came. Until this moment, he could still convince himself by saying "Everything is fine in Hailan".

But when his adoptive father really came to him and questioned him, he could not give any answer.

If Antonio says "come home with me".

what to do?

If Antonio asks, "Are the Platons more important than your family?"

What should we do?

He might really go back to Veneta with his adoptive father, because for Winters Montagne, there is nothing more important than family.

But he couldn't leave Tiefeng County. He couldn't leave, at least not now.

Therefore, until that moment arrives, Winters doesn't know what choice he will make. He can only hope that his adoptive father will not say those words.

Moritz excused himself tactfully: "I'll come visit you later."

Winters grabbed the lieutenant colonel and spoke very slowly and hard: "I can't leave...at least not now."

"Why?" Antonio asked.

"Lieutenant Colonel Moritz can testify." Winters looked at his adoptive father pleadingly, like a child who knows he has made a mistake: "It's not that I am proud of myself, but it is the fact that if I leave now, Tiefeng County will be completely destroyed.

!”

"A county will not collapse just because one person leaves." Antonio's eyes were stern: "Return Tiefeng County to the New Reclamation Army, they will be able to take over."

"The New Reclamation Army will not forgive my men, and the New Reclamation Army will not honor my promise." Winters stubbornly pushed back: "The New Reclamation Army cannot do as well as I did... They
To be continued...