The weather was nice, with white clouds and a gentle breeze, the sky was high and the sea was wide.

White seagulls circled in the sky, waves crashed onto the beach, turning into froth and retreating into the sea, little crabs chased the waves on the fine sand, presenting a scene of tranquility and harmony.

In such weather, Leopold, a small fishing town, appeared busier than usual.

Good weather is a gift from the sea to fishermen, regardless of the catch, at least in such calm weather, they need not worry too much about returning safely.

Small fishing boats floated on the coastal sea surface, carrying fishermen, and also carrying their hopes.

On the shore, elderly folks, housewives, and even older children were repairing fishing nets and sewing sails... contributing as much as they could to add strength to the men going out to sea.

"By the way, today is the day the Navy cruiser arrives, right?" Two elderly men, quick of hand and eye, were chatting while working together to repair an old sail.

Though called "old men," they were actually not yet fifty, just that the long life on the sea made their appearance seem far older than their actual age.

"Yes, it should be today. Our small town, not on the main route, gets patrolled about once every half month. My son mentioned it in his letter before. The shop assistant in the store read it to me several times!"

The other elderly man skillfully sewed the canvas joints with a specially made needle, showing exquisite craftsmanship, and replied without looking up.

"Little Luke has joined the Navy for only two years, and he can already write letters?

Joining the military is good! After learning skills, even when retiring in the future, the salary plus the one-time Kingdom retirement subsidy should be enough to buy a brand-new fishing boat, right?"

Hearing a hint of envy in his old friend's voice, Old Luke sighed softly. The friend only sees the benefits of joining the Navy, but who knows how many nights he turned and twisted, unable to sleep, afraid of receiving a notice of his son's death?

Although his future seems bright, the father's feelings as a Navy soldier's father are indeed hard to express.

"Look! The Navy's warship is coming."

At that moment, someone on the shore shouted, awakening Old Luke from his deep thoughts, who then looked up.

A ship, much larger than ordinary fishing boats, appeared on the distant sea horizon, breaking through the waves and riding the wind towards them.

With the arrival of the "Conch," the small town's dock instantly became lively.

This is because, in addition to bearing the responsibility of protecting the safety of the people, the "Conch," as a Navy cruiser, carries their expectations for relatives far away.

Although its functional role is not yet clearly defined at this time, to some extent, they are indeed part of the official "postal system."

For port cities, sea transportation is far more convenient than land transportation, with no towering mountains, rugged roads, and endless wild beasts in the wilderness.

Especially for non-bulk cargo and mail transfers, they often rely on the safe, efficient, and highly regular patrol ships, which invisibly constitute an official postal network.

The lower-level cruisers carrying out missions are also happy to earn an extra buck, and sometimes even receive additional "appreciation" from the family members.

"Captain, we have handed over the letters and money from the fleet sailors for their families to the personnel at the municipal hall. Do you think we should rest or return immediately?"

The First Mate, Borg, completing his tasks, inquired about the itinerary from Aiven.

After completely annihilating the invading "Fish Monster," it was now the third day.

This place is about a two-day journey from Gabred, approaching the end of the patrol mission, and also the safest section of the entire patrol route, so Borg's tone was very relaxed.

"Hmm, let everyone rest a bit, I haven't returned in a year, and I just need to go ashore." Aiven nodded and said to Borg.

"Return?" Upon hearing this, the First Mate was evidently a bit surprised.

"Haha, Leopold is my hometown! Before joining the military, I lived here for five years." Aiven took a deep breath as he saw the familiar scenery, which hadn't changed much from a year ago, feeling even the air seemed particularly fresh here.

Without bringing anyone except for Gary, Aiven shook off the captain's cloak and walked briskly off the "Conch."

Watching the two figures walking away, the First Mate shivered suddenly: "Uh... I hope I didn't embezzle anything transported to Leopold before... did I?"

...

Leopold had a population of just over twenty thousand, and Aiven had lived there for five years, of course recognizing many familiar faces.

"Grandpa Jamie, how is your health?" Just as he approached the neighborhood where the "White Stone Potion Shop" was located, Aiven saw a familiar neighbor.

"You are... Young Aiven? Ah, I didn't dare to recognize you, my health is good!"

Seeing the upright, dashing young officer in a crisp school officer's uniform, many old acquaintances hesitated to recognize him. Only when Aiven greeted them did they confirm that it was indeed the neighborhood boy who left a year ago.

"Auntie Geller, going to buy groceries?"

...

And the young people nearby, after a year, once again found themselves overwhelmed by someone else's daunting child! This time, even more strongly than before!

Hmm, maybe this year's new recruit enlistment for the Third Fleet will have quite a few familiar faces from Leopold.

Aiven and Gary walked along, introducing places he used to live in, while the towering Gary listened silently, occasionally agreeing.

Soon, Aiven saw the small "White Stone Potion Shop" at the street corner again.

For a moment, his thoughts surged, so many memories related to his former self, like an indelible mark on his soul. Even though it had been a long time, Aiven still found it hard to release.

He could only sigh lightly in his heart: "The small shop remains unchanged, but alas, Grandpa Leo is no longer here..."

He raised his hand to push the door open.

Ding-a-ling—

The familiar sound of the bell rang, and Aiven was somewhat dazed, although only a year had passed, in his mind, it felt like a long, long time.

"Hello, customer! What would you like?" A crisp female voice brought Aiven back to reality.

"Huh? Where's Sangji?" Aiven noticed the capable woman in a plaid dress with her sleeves rolled up, busy behind the counter, and asked in confusion.

The store manager, Sangji, was replaced by a completely unfamiliar woman, leaving Aiven momentarily unresponsive.

Bam—

Without waiting for the woman to answer.

The small door to the storeroom at the back of the potion shop suddenly swung open, and a tall, thin figure rushed out:

"Ah! Has Mr. Aiven returned?!"

With sleeves rolled up and an apron on, it was obvious Sangji was doing something in the back when he came running out, only to stop abruptly in front of Aiven.

Carefully examining the tall, handsome young officer before him for a good while, he managed to finally match the officer with his employer.

Though Aiven remained mostly the same, the Extraordinary Transformation had perfected his looks beyond recognition. Coupled with a year of military life and the commanding aura of his officer's uniform, he had changed significantly from the ordinary civilian boy he once was.

"Hey, Sangji, can't even recognize me now?" Despite just turning sixteen, Aiven was already taller than Sangji, who was in his twenties, and he looked down into his eyes with a smile.

Only at this moment, did that familiar voice let Sangji confirm completely.

"It really is you, Mr. Aiven! You've become a Navy Officer in just one year? How impressive. Amazing! Before you joined, I knew you would surely succeed!"

Wiping his hands on the apron, Sangji was so emotionally overwhelmed that he was at a loss as to what sort of manners he should use for this "employer" of his.