Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 512: To The North II

The carriage took Hugo to the port in the north. Not the port used by the masses but the one that belonged to the navy.

To reach there, the carriage must pass the restricted area called the Bideford Arsenal.

Hugo's curiosity was piqued. He glanced outside to see this famous place, which rumours had painted as the heart of Ryntum's military power.

He adjusted the curtain. His eyes scan the surroundings, hoping to see something unique.

However, the scenery he sees is just like any other part of the city. Nothing new.

Of course, the true value of this place wasn't in its exterior. It was in the secrets it housed, the things they manufactured.

Hugo had no way of learning anything just by peeking through the window.

That's why the military has no concerns about Hugo glimpsing the area.

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop.

Hugo was immediately greeted by a massive ship anchored at the dock.

"I guess that's the ship I'll be boarding," he said slowly.

"Are you Mr. Hagen?" someone asks.

Hugo turns around, "Yes I am."

He sees a tall man in uniform standing behind him.

The man extended his hand. "I'm Bain Lawrence. I'll be escorting you to Blande."

"Bain Lawrence… I heard of you! You're the Chief of the Army. Or something like that."

Bain chuckled. "I guess I'm still famous."

"I can't believe Ryntum sent a heavyweight like you to the north."

Bain smiled, "That just shows the importance of this treaty to His Majesty."

However, he refrained from mentioning the other half of the reason.

Should anything undesirable occur; be it a sabotage, ambush, or other unforeseen circumstances, he was granted full authority to act independently and decisively.

"Enough talking!" Bain clapped his hand. "Get your luggage and have it loaded onto the ship. We'll be departing soon."

It didn't take long for the crew to load the luggage and goods onto the ship. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Three ships set sail without further ado with a few thousand soldiers on board.

Hugo stood near the railing and watched the port shrink in the distance.

He feels uneasy, secretly thinking that Ryntum was using him to launch a surprise attack.

Bain repeatedly assures him, telling the diplomat from Blande that the other two ships are passenger ships. They are incapable of bombarding the city from a distance.

Contrary to Bain's expectation, Hugo's fear continues to grow.

At this moment, the memory of Hagen Island being bombarded surfaced vividly in his mind.

"Why am I forgetting that event?" Hugo said to himself.

Unfortunately, everything was already too late. He can only hope for the best.

The fleet continued its journey and arrived at the port city of Vaale two days later.

Under Bain's command, the ships approach the port carefully. He doesn't want to spook them with their presence.

Bain turned to Hugo, who was standing near him.

"Mr Hagen, I'll need you to handle this. We can't dock without their permission, and I'm sure a fleet like ours is already raising suspicions."

In order not to engage in unnecessary conflict, Hugo's existence was required. He needs to go and talk with the port manager.

With Hugo's prestige and influence, he gets permission smoothly.

Bain doesn't care what kind of talk Hugo has to bypass the formalities. One thing for sure is that he underestimates the diplomat's influence.

He turned his gaze toward the bustling port. Normally, the sight of a foreign fleet would provoke far more scrutiny.

No sane authorities would grant docking rights to an unannounced foreign warship unless in emergency cases.

But it happens, right before his eyes. They got permission just from a mere port manager.

'The situation here is worse than I thought.'

Whatever the case, these issues are not theirs to fix. When the territories were transferred to Ryntum, let the central government deal with it.

Bain quickly ordered the ships to dock.

To prevent arousing vigilance, Bain had ordered the soldiers to wear ordinary clothes before disembarking.

The soldiers began to change their uniforms to plain clothing.

Disembarkation proceeded in an orderly manner. They stepped off the ships and blended seamlessly into the bustling port.

At a glance, nothing looks out of the ordinary. However, their eyes constantly observe the city.

Hugo felt uncomfortable watching so he quickly urged Bain to depart for Vernau.

"Mr. Lawrance, this doesn't look good. The longer they're here, the more suspicious they'll appear. We should move as soon as possible."

Bain rejected the idea.

"Mr. Hagen, I understand your concerns, but my men are exhausted from the journey. They've been at sea for days. Forcing them to march without rest would be unwise."

"Surely they can endure a bit longer? Aren't they Ryntum's soldiers?"

Bain shook his head. He obviously realises the provoking nature of Hugo's question.

Unfortunately, he isn't interested in playing in his rhythm.

"It's precisely because we want to avoid suspicion that we're resting here. If we rush to Vernau, it'll seem like we're in a hurry to execute some agenda. Let them blend with the locals. A few days of sightseeing will ease tensions."

Hugo obviously didn't believe a word of it. At a glance, he can see Bain's motive as clear as a bright sky.

"Mr. Lawrance, I agreed to an escort, not to host an undercover military operation. The plan is to go to Vernau and finalize the deal."

Bain smiled faintly. "I know, I know."

Since the cat had got out of the bag, he didn't bother to make up excuses.

Hugo is not the only one with a plan. As a leading officer in this operation, he had to ensure they could take over this place unhindered.

To do so, it is important to investigate the garrison's strength and probe the people's attitude here.

Usually, people at the bottom don't care who rules over them. They still had to work hard for food.

They hardly pose a problem to Bain or his trained soldiers.