Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"Come with me, there's an emergency," Antonio called out to Winters, then added, "Tell the coachman not to unhitch the horses, and Winters, you go change into your ceremonial attire."

"Ceremonial attire? But I only have my military academy uniform right now."

Antonio looked towards his wife, "Didn't you make several sets before?"

"But none of those clothes fit, and they haven't been altered yet. We only took the measurements today," Koshar replied with a tinge of annoyance.

Antonio didn't dwell on it, "In that case, I'll change into a military uniform, and we'll both be dressed the same."

This time, Winters didn't have to wait too long. Antonio was a military man known for his efficiency and soon emerged from the house in his officer's uniform, different from ceremonial dress.

"Now that we're both in uniform, what do we need a carriage for?" Seeing Winters foolishly waiting by the carriage, Antonio sounded quite helpless. He turned to the coachman and said, "We won't be needing the carriage. Bato, you've had a hard day."

With that, he handed a small bag of reward money to the coachman, who took it with profuse thanks.

Antonio gestured to his nephew and led Winters to the stables behind the house.

In the stables, there were now three horses. Antonio pointed to one of them, a grey steed with a black mane and white spots, saying reluctantly, "It's yours from now on. Although Sea Blue City isn't that large, it's inconvenient to go anywhere without a horse."

Winters was instantly overjoyed. He approached the proud and majestic creature, keeping his excitement in check. The horse wasn't panicked by the newcomer; it chewed its hay calmly. Its pectoral muscles were strong, its legs well-proportioned and powerful, and the lines from its neck to its back and haunches were smooth and elegant. The mane and tail were well-groomed, and its coat was brushed clean, without a single speck of straw.

Winters gazed into the horse's eyes, and the horse blinked its moist eyes back at him with a tame and friendly gaze, its ears flicking deftly. Winters tentatively stroked its neck, finding the skin not only smooth and glossy but also warm to the touch. It felt wonderful, and the horse hummed comfortably through its nostrils.

"It's truly beautiful."

An irritated Antonio said, "Of course it's beautiful. You infantry types just don't recognize a good thing. This is a top-notch Lucian horse."

The more pained Antonio felt, the better the horse must be. Winters, rarely seeing his uncle so reluctant, chuckled and asked, "Is it a monk?"

Antonio was furious: "How could it be? There are plenty of people who'd want to borrow this horse for breeding!"

"But if it's not that, can it be ridden?"

"Of course, it can be ridden. Didn't you see who trained it? Besides, Lucian horses are naturally gentle."

"What's its name?"

"I called it 'Good Luck.' Do you want to give it a new name?"

Winters gently scratched the area between the horse's eyes, and the animal flicked its tongue lightly. Recalling the pirate ship named Good Luck, he said, "Who doesn't like luck? But let's call it 'Strong Luck' instead. It seems luck doesn't work on me."

Seeing how much his nephew fancied Strong Luck, Antonio hesitated but couldn't help instructing, "Horses are noble creatures, and Good Luck is my treasure. You must take good care of it, don't wear it out, but don't let it get too idle either..."

Winters kept nodding, then pointed to the other two horses and asked his uncle, "If you're worried about Strong Luck, how about I ride one of those instead?"

The other two horses in the stable were a white horse and a bay mare.

"Now I really regret sending you to study in the infantry," Antonio said with a heavy tone. "Do you think those two aren't good horses?"

Antonio took out a small packet from his pocket and fed each horse a piece of sugar. He then led out the bay horse, and Winters brought out Strong Luck. They saddled up, mounted their steeds, and left the mansion.

The sky had darkened, and the last rays of the sun were fading away. The daytime heat was gradually replaced by the coolness of the night, and the refreshing sea breeze carried away the excess heat from the two riders. At that moment, riding the streets of Sea Blue City was utterly invigorating.

Workers along the road were filling the lamps with oil, lighting the street lamps one by one. In Senas Bay, only Sea Blue City was lavish enough to provide public lighting. The flickering flames shone through the soot-stained glass, illuminating the hurried faces of the pedestrians, signaling the start of nightlife.

In the city streets, Strong Luck could hardly stretch its legs, making Winters eager to take the horse outside the city for a hearty gallop.

But then he suddenly remembered he didn't know where his uncle was taking him, so he sped up a little and rode alongside Antonio, "What's the emergency? Colonel, where are you taking me?"

Antonio looked at Winters with a playful smile and said, "To find you a wife."

"What? Stop joking!" Winters was taken aback, nearly losing his balance and falling off the saddle, "I was planning to see Benwei tonight, and I only followed you because you said it was urgent. If there's nothing serious, I'm heading to Benwei's place."

"Benwei? Which Benwei?" Antonio scratched his head, trying to remember the name: "Benvenuto?"

Winters was surprised his uncle remembered Benwei's full name: "You remember him?"

"Isn't he your schoolmate, Lu You? You always loved to scrounge meals at his house when you were on leave."