“I remembered some of the things that happened when I was young.” Claremont felt that his throat had become somewhat dry. He raised his cup and drank a mouthful of water before answering.
Abel recalled the words that Claremont kept repeating in his mouth that day. He asked hesitantly, “Was it related to your father?”
Perhaps it was best to say it out loud. In Claremont’s eyes, Abel was a good listener.
Under the quiet moonlight, Claremont told Abel about his childhood experience of being abused by his father.
When the last sentence of the story was finished, Abel quietly stared at Claremont’s side profile.
Even though it was dark around him, Abel could still see the sadness on Claremont’s face.
“Then, where is your father now?” Abel asked hesitantly.
“Dead.” Claremont sneered and said, “I didn’t kill him. When I was twelve years old, he was killed by his enemy who was chasing after his debt.”
Abel sat there silently, not knowing what to say.
“I originally planned to forget about this matter, but because of the Black Elf’s spell, I remembered the past.” Claremont shook his head, he said casually, “It seems that the impression that man left on me is quite deep.”
After listening to Claremont’s words, Abel recalled the impression he had gotten from spending the past few days with Claremont. Most of the time, he was very quiet, and his actions were strong. He maintained a clear boundary with his superiors and took care of others.
He did not see a single trace of negativity in Claremont.
When he thought about how Claremont had escaped from his dark childhood without the help of others to become a decent military officer, he felt even more pained when he faced the inferiority complex radiating from him.
“Claremont, although I haven’t known you for long, you are indeed one of the most outstanding colleagues I have ever met.” Abel paused for a moment before continuing, “Don’t hate yourself because of your father.”
After listening to Abel’s words, Claremont was silent for a moment. He stood up and said to Abel, “Thank you, Abel.”
After saying that, he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and left.
Abel stayed where he was and continued to chew on the cold food.
Tears did not represent weakness in every situation.
Devitt’s injury recovered very quickly. The scouts rested for a day and a half on the spot. Then they began the next part of the journey.
It was noon when the soldiers set out. The sun shone on everyone’s shoulders.
“Captain Devitt, is there really no problem with your body?” A Caradia soldier walked to Devitt’s side and asked curiously.
“No problem.” Devitt smiled and nodded. “It’s not feasible to continue to slack off under my cover.”
“Hehe, how can that be? We’ve been training well in the military camp these past few days.” The soldier laughed in a relaxed manner. “However, Captain Devitt is really amazing. He suffered such a serious injury and recovered within two days.”
“Didn’t you see the medical soldiers guarding by my side all day and night? For their sake, I have to recover as soon as possible,” Devitt replied.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” After the soldiers left, Claremont walked forward and asked suspiciously.
“To be honest, I’m straining a little.” Devitt patted Claremont’s shoulder and stopped him from getting angry. “But it’s still okay to use it on the road.”
“If you feel any discomfort, remember to tell me immediately. Don’t endure it yourself,” Claremont pursed his lips and said seriously.
“Alright, I promise you,” Devitt said clearly.
As they moved forward for the whole day, the plants by the roadside gradually changed.
“We’re approaching the valley soon,” Abel said to the soldiers.
“Are we going to set up camp in the valley tonight?” Claremont and Abel discussed.
“It should be. But we have to find a very hidden place.”
Abel nodded and say, “It’s best to find a place a little further away from the mountain road.”
Claremont carefully considered the conditions that Abel had mentioned, and thought about how to find a suitable place to set up camp.
When the scouts heard Abel’s words, they also began to discuss animatedly.
Until the moon rose into the sky, the scouts still had not entered the plains. This distance was much farther than they had imagined.
“How much longer will it take?” Devitt asked Abel, who was leading the way in front.
“Probably… about an hour,” Abel replied.
The soldiers continued to trudge forward.
Seeing that the sky was about to turn dark, Claremont suggested to Abel, a little worried. “Why don’t we set up camp near here tonight? If we continue, it will be a waste of energy and time for us to adjust.”
“Okay.” Abel thought for a while and nodded in agreement.
“Everyone stop! Set up camp nearby!” Claremont ordered the soldiers.
The soldiers immediately stopped when they heard the order.
Everyone began to set up camp together.
Meanwhile, Devitt was forced by Abel to wait at the side.
Under the circumstances where he was bored to death, Devitt walked around the place where the soldiers set up camp.
“Hualala.”
Devitt seemed to have heard something. He stopped and listened carefully. He realized that it was the sound of water flowing.
Devitt immediately called a few soldiers and went with him to inspect the source of the sound.
In the end, he found a small stream hidden in the mountains.
The soldiers who were traveling with him were overjoyed. However, Devitt frowned.
He stopped everyone from fishing for fresh water and brought the soldiers back to the military camp.
He summoned Claremont and Abel to discuss, “I think we’ve found the wrong place to camp.”
“Why?” Abel asked.
“When I was patrolling the area just now, I found a stream of fresh water,” Devitt said.
When they heard this news, both of their faces darkened.
The status of the water source on this island was practically on par with gold. According to Raphael, no river was not occupied by various races. When advancing in the wild, one must avoid places where there were rivers. Where there were freshwater resources, there would definitely be powerful forces entrenched. This should be beyond reproach.
Abel turned around and glanced at the soldiers who were still setting up their tents. He asked Devitt, “How far is that stream from here?”
“It’s not considered very far. It’s about fifteen minutes away,” Devitt replied.
“That’s quite dangerous,” Claremont said after taking a deep breath.
“But finding another place to camp now is a little too much for me,” Abel analyzed.
