After parting ways with Lavinia.
Losa didn’t imdiately go to et up with Valentina, but instead went to the still-operating bakery in the square, bought two large bags of cheap black bread, and walked into the alleys.
Even before he got close, soone by the campfire looked at him with a wary expression.
The person had noticeable traits of the Wolf Race on their head, but no tail, indicating that they were of mixed blood with a relatively thin lineage of the Wolf Race. Apart from having a stronger physique than ordinary people, families usually were unwilling to recruit them.
"Please stay there and don’t move, sir."
The man stood silhouetted against the light, with unkempt hair and beard. His pupils glowed a ghostly green: "We’re just taking shelter here. If it’s inconvenient for you, we can leave imdiately."
"These are for you."
Losa squatted down, placed the bread on the ground, then raised his hands and slowly stepped back.
After a long ti.
The man couldn’t help but slowly walk towards the paper bag containing bread.
"Dad, who was that just now?"
"A kind-hearted person."
Losa listened to the faint conversation behind him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Saluzzo had more than one base in Turin.
The family’s sphere of influence was as interlaced on the Apennine Peninsula as the Saluzzo Family had bases belonging to other families, such as the "Iron Fist and Beauty" tavern where Losa’s previous combat records were seen, which belonged to the Sassari Family’s property.
The site where Valentina wanted him to go was a standalone mansion, covering a vast area.
He lightly knocked on the door, and after a long ti without any response, he pushed the door and walked in.
Only then did he realize that the large mansion didn’t even have a guard, and the door was not closed. Probably because the Saluzzo Family’s na was so resounding in Piedmont that they never considered the threat of theft.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound, smiled, and followed the sound to the stable.
The mounts he and Elr used upon arrival had been placed here.
He patted the horse’s neck and found so stored rough feed from the warehouse nearby, dumping it into the feeding trough.
"Did you et Lavinia again tonight?"
A voice suddenly sounded.
Losa instinctively took a defensive stance, then saw that it was Valentina—just like Chelina, she had the bad habit of walking without making noise.
"Miss, how did you know?"
"Relax, I don’t have the free ti to send people to monitor you. Lavinia has a unique scent—you obviously had close contact with her, otherwise, it wouldn’t be still so clear now."
"Honestly, even though this girl’s appearance..."
"Moreover, our Saluzzo Family also doesn’t have the tradition of marriage alliances with the Bologna Family."
Valentina realized that despite putting all her effort into it, she couldn’t actually manage to subdue Losa in a short ti, and couldn’t help but smile wryly.
"Losa, you hide your strength too much, don’t you?"
Losa smiled awkwardly.
The difference between a corner and an elite centurion was too great; no matter how it was explained, it couldn’t possibly be reconciled.
"Miss, I always feel that I should do as much as I receive. With a salary of three hundred lira per month, I’ve already done my best."
"Oh, then according to you, all factory owners in this city should be great philanthropists?"
Valentina said, full of sarcasm.
"Alright, I don’t care how you were before, now that it’s out in the open in front of , don’t think about slacking off anymore. From today on, I’m promoting you to Centurion, under... for now, only Elr."
She paused, then continued: "I’m giving you the Red Falcon Vineyard outside Saluzzo City. You don’t have to get involved in managing the vineyard; just receive money monthly."
Losa replied, adhering to the situation: "Thank you, Miss."
"For the ti being, you’ll be stationed at the Turin base, waiting for my news. I’ve already made progress in finding the mastermind behind the provocation between the Saluzzo and Bologna Families. Just wait for my orders quietly."
While it seed like Valentina was promoting him, her trust in him had actually decreased, otherwise she wouldn’t have stationed him in Turin when she originally wanted him to be a personal guard.
This was understandable.
After all, the strength Losa had shown was enough to threaten her.
Even if family bloodlines couldn’t be erased.
But within the Saluzzo Family, there were also different factions.
"The responsibility of this base, for the ti being, was handed over to you. Guard the house well, but rember what I said to you, don’t get too close to that Lavinia."
She looked at Losa’s outwardly compliant expression, raising her eyebrows slightly: "If you’re only attracted by her decent appearance, then forget it. She’s not soone who can be played with at your leisure. If you ss up, be careful she might take you down with her."
Losa opened his mouth, trying to explain that he wasn’t planning to marry Lavinia or play with her, but this was really hard to explain, so he reluctantly said: "You’re right, Miss. I’ll rember."
To think a dignified Grand Duke like , the future King of Egypt, would be lectured so fiercely by a little girl...
Losa
Had to admit, Valentina’s imposing presence was the strongest among won he had ever seen.
Even stronger than Empress Ragaya, though of course, it could be that the Empress never showed her presence to him.
The Saluzzo Family’s base in Turin was a
Losa walked to the front hall, put the firewood placed in the shed into the fireplace, and snapped his fingers to release a spark, imdiately igniting a blazing fire. The heat carried by the smoke spread through the chimney above the fireplace.
...
Lavinia hung her coat on the coat rack, exposing her full body covered only by a white shirt.
The gas stove in the room was burning brightly, yet she couldn’t help but think of those holess people again.
Among them, perhaps many people could find short-term work during the day, and if they were lucky enough, they might secure a porter job at the rchant station, earning twenty lira in silver coins, which was enough to fill their stomachs but not enough to provide themselves and their families with a place sheltered against the wind with a stove lit.
"They don’t really need much, just a foothold. They can feed themselves with their own hands."
Lavinia muttered to herself.
She took out her wallet and rummaged through it for a while: "Three two-hundred lira banknotes, more than ten twenty lira silver coins, and two Golden Louis. This should be enough to rent a mansion that can accommodate fifty people for a month in a relatively remote place on the outskirts of the city."
She thought for a mont, then took out one two-hundred lira banknote from her wallet: "I have to keep one for my expenses this month..."
"Well, I could eat less; at the cafeteria, if I shalessly ask, I could be able to get a free lunch, but dinner would be my own concern."
Thinking of this, Lavinia returned the banknote to the wallet, exchanging it for four silver coins.
"Also, if I get up a little earlier every day, I wouldn’t need to take the public carriages."
While saying this, she returned one silver coin back to the wallet.
"When is the salary getting dispensed this month?"
The judge lady, who had never been troubled by money, was montarily lost in deep thoughts.
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