Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Elizabeth asked with red-rimmed eyes, "Is war dangerous? Could you… never come back?"

"Not at all," Antonio quickly consoled his daughter, "War isn't as dangerous as you think. There's even a song that goes, 'If every bullet hit a man, who would the king have to serve as his soldiers?'..."

But Ella glared at Antonio and seriously said to Elizabeth, "War does kill people, and many families' sons won't return. Your father and brother might not come back either. We pray for their safety, but if they can't return, you have to be strong enough to face it."

Upon hearing her mother's words, and imagining the terrible scenarios, Elizabeth couldn't help but burst into tears.

"She's still a child, isn't this a bit too cruel?"

"She's already sixteen, she must learn to accept all of this. Only in this way, if she truly loses you both, she won't collapse into insanity like my sister did!"

Just as the two were about to argue over their child-rearing philosophy, Winters pushed open the door and came in.

Seeing Winters return home, Elizabeth ran over and threw herself into her brother's embrace, sobbing, "Winters, I don't want you to go to war! I don't want you to never come back! Please don't go..."

Winters, having no idea what had transpired, awkwardly held Ella. He could only gently pat Ella's back while looking to the parents with a questioning glance, "What's going on?"

However, the usually strong and resolute Ella couldn't help but wipe away tears at this moment.

Antonio sighed helplessly, pulled his wife into his embrace, and exchanged a look with Winters.

After a long silence, the expressionless Sofia came down from upstairs.

Indeed, Sofia was now residing at the Winters' household. The Third Legion's base was now brimming with soldiers, and it was clearly inappropriate for a lady to continue staying there.

Sofia's identity had also been confirmed. The messenger had ridden tirelessly to The Federated Provinces, copying the original documents stored in the church. These were cross-checked without error against the documents Sofia carried.

The Governing Council and Sofia reached an agreement. In exchange for her notes, Governor Debela would expedite the proposal to rehabilitate Antoine-Laurent, while Sofia would temporarily stay in Vineta waiting to attend a hearing.

Originally, Sofia wanted to stay at a Monastery, but Elizabeth eagerly invited Sofia to their home. Although Antonio and Winters were resolutely opposed, Elizabeth succeeded in convincing the real head of the household—Ella.

Ella agreed to let Sofia stay for a simple reason: the two families were actually related.

Ella's grandfather's sister had married into the da Ravassy family, that sister's grandmother was Antoine-Laurent's grandmother, making her Sofia's great-grandmother.

That is to say, Winters and Elizabeth had to call Sofia "Cousin."

Due to the natural geographical barriers of "two mountains flanking a valley", the aristocracy of the Senas Bay region tended not to intermarry with outsiders, while inner-community marriages were very frequent. United Provincials with a "de" or "la" in their surnames sitting in a tavern could chat and surely find a familial connection between them.

Winters' maternal grandfather, being the youngest child, had no rights to inherit the title and lands, so he turned to business. But he fortuitously avoided the Federated Provincials' purge of the old aristocracy during the Sovereignty Wars.

[In feudal states, it's quite common for the younger sons of minor noble families to lose their nobility and become commoners.]

Sofia, with a cold expression, walked up to Winters, who while sharing a roof with her, had never been on the receiving end of any pleasantness from her. Winters empathized; if someone had first burned Winters' hair and then his beloved family heirlooms, Winters wouldn't be quick to forgive either.

But this didn't mean Winters forgave Sofia for breaking into his home at night, attempting to kill twice. [Understanding but not forgiving], Sofia felt the same, and that was the awkward state between them.

Winters awkwardly smiled and nodded to Sofia. Sofia gave him a stern look, took Elizabeth into her arms, and helped the inconsolable girl back upstairs.