SSS SKILL: DUPLICATE

Chapter 42 Admirals

"Father! We must go to Dragon Philippe tomorrow. Ella and the others will go! Their parents will also go with them," an excited 10-year-old girl said to her father. The Dragon Philippe that she is referring to is the 50-meter purple dragon made of cement and earth.

They call it Philippe because their friend Philippe has a purple birthmark on his buttocks. They only found it recently. They named the dragon Philippe to tease him. Philippe was very dissatisfied, but his friends told him that he was like a dragon, so they named the dragon after his name. From then on, Philippe pointed his nose and chin up, his chest puffing out wherever he walks. He is acting like a dragon. When Philippe grew up, his face always turned red from embarrassment whenever he remembered this scene.

"I'm sorry, Lola. Tomorrow I have to go somewhere important," said Wilder to his daughter with an apologetic tone.

Lola's eyes turned watery when she heard her father. All her friends will go with their parents. She only has his father, and he won't accompany her. How lonely could that be? She started sniffling. Something seems to be pricking Wilder's heart when he saw his daughter, but he grits his teeth. The king gave him an important mission. Wilder is trying to coax her, but it seems ineffective, so he has to make a difficult promise.

"You can go with your Aunt Cecil. When I return, we will use a ship to travel. You can invite your friends and their parents to ride the ship together," said Wilder with a smile as he looks at the surprised expression of his daughter. Aunt Cecil is the maid hired by Wilder.

"Re-really?" Lola excitedly asked. She had ridden a big boat—even a navy ship—but her friends haven't ridden one yet. They were only able to ride small boats for fishing or rafts for playing. She can imagine the admiration from her friends if she told them about it. She will not lose face when she meets them tomorrow.

"Yes," answered Wilder with a smile.

"P-pinky promise." Lola raises her pinky, and Wilder can only helplessly move his pinky finger. Lola cheered. She's no longer lonely. She is excited to tell the news to her friends tomorrow.

One day later, Wilder is sitting in a dimly lit pub with a beer. An old man is wiping some glasses of wine with a cloth.

After a while, a man who looks 60 years old went in. Some of his hairs turned white. It is comb neatly, quite long, and curly. There are obvious creases on his forehead and a wound scar near his right eyebrow. He looks around the pub and noticed Wilder, then started laughing while walking.

"Hahaha Wilder! I haven't seen you for a long time. I was surprised when someone informed me that you are here. Hahaha I sneakily went out of the house just to meet you here. I can't believe that you became the admiral of Baynard's Navy. The news spread that you annihilated an unknown powerful fleet. Hahahaha I was laughing out loud when I heard it.

I'm sure Duke Wesly bled a lot when his fleet made with a lot of money is destroyed. I felt so happy that I drank the whole night! You don't know how much I want to hit that Duke's face to vent all the navy's grievances!" Franco did not stop talking when he sat beside Wilder. He let out all the frustration he is holding on to within himself. Franco has an idea why Wilder approached him. He is also aware that this place might be a secret place for agents.

Franco's assumption is right. The pub is a secret base of agents in the city, near the wharf of the Fran kingdom. Edgar is willing to expose the secret base to try and recruit the Admiral of Fran's Navy!

Franco believes that what he said will not spread, but even if it does, everyone in the kingdom already knows his grievances to Duke Wesly, so it won't affect him much, but Baynard will lose his trust if that happens.

Wilder smiles at his uncle. His uncle has no son. He has a daughter who is quite talented in magic but not interested in it. She is interested in making ships. Franco wants to train an apprentice, but his daughter is not interested. He set his eyes on his brother's son, Wilder, and taught him his knowledge.

Wilder learned a lot from Franco and joined the Navy when he grew up. He has quite a good aptitude for aura but no aptitude for magic. He was only at the first level of aura because he had no money for cultivation. His strength is an obstacle to his promotion.

Franco wanted to promote him, but Duke Wesly reasoned that Wilder is weak, so he cannot take heavy responsibility. He remained as vice captain for a long time. When their ships were encircled by pirates, only their ship was able to escape under his command, but the noble captain was killed during the fight. The parents of the noble blamed the death of the noble on Wilder and removed him from the navy. Franco protested, but Duke Wesly is fanning the flame to disgust Franco.

Wilder was arrested and put in prison. They want him beheaded, but Franco begs the king to pardon him. Franco saved Wilder by kneeling and begging. Wilder cried when he heard it. Why?! Why does his uncle need to beg? He saved the crew! Is it a sin to save the crew? Why?! He was crying loudly in front of Franco. Franco is comforting him by saying that it is his responsibility because he dragged him to the Navy.

When Wilder went home, he was met with tragic news. Their village was attacked by pirates, and his wife was killed. His wife was able to hide their daughter, but she witnessed the death of her mother. Her lively daughter became silent. He comforted his daughter and temporarily let her live in his uncle's house in the city. When Franco knew, he was full of anger and grief. He was not in the Navy when the incident happened. He was in the capital for the past few days, trying hard to save Wilder. He went back to the navy and vowed to hunt those pirates, even if they hid at the end of the world.

Wilder used a small boat and went to a place in the sea, where he wailed loudly. He doesn't want his daughter to witness his miserable father. He doesn't want to further cause her grief. He wants to let out everything without holding back. Wilder wailed loudly and asked the sky, "Why?! Why?! Is it not enough to take my wife?! Why let a child witness it?! Why?!" Wilder howled at how much her daughter is suffering. He wailed for many hours in the sea.

When Wilder returned to the city, an agent of Baynard wanted to recruit him as an officer of the navy. He thought he was joking because Baynard has no navy, but the agent said they have a river that requires a navy to patrol. Wilder did not immediately agree but said that he must go to Baynard to observe first, and the agent agreed. He wanted to take his daughter away from that place, but he did not expect that his decision could change his life and her daughter.

"Uncle, when we left Fran kingdom, I just wanted to take away my daughter from the place that gives her bad memories. King Van knew my experience and gave us both time to adjust. We were assigned to live in a town where there is a school for children," Wilder's lips suddenly trembled, and he started crying but still continued talking.

Wilder remembers that moment. When he went home from part-time work, his daughter was waiting for him. She is hiding something behind her. She restlessly looked at Wilder, then said, "Fa-Father, I have a gift for you. My teacher praised me for my work. My friends said it is beautiful and wanted to take it, but I said that I want to gift it to you. My friends already gifted their parents, b-but I haven't given you anything yet, s-so take it," Lola raised her hand, holding a necklace with a wooden dragon.

Wilder was stupefied as his daughter was talking and absent-mindedly accepted the necklace. Lola smiles when Wilder receives the necklace. At that time, Lola's smiles blew away all the gloom Wilder had. His world suddenly brightened a lot. That smile is the most beautiful in the world. His tears started falling. "Fa-father, don't cry." Lola tried to comfort her father and did not understand why Wilder was crying. Wilder hugged Lola and cried loudly. Lola is comforting her father and caressing his hair.

"At that time, I decided to join the Baynard Navy to protect that smile," Wilder's face has a lot of tears. The navy will probably not believe that their tough admiral is crying so much right now. Wilder wiped his tears.

"As I live longer there, the more I want to protect that kingdom. Baynard is a paradise for many beings in this world. Uncle, you must visit that place. It is a kingdom worth fighting for. King Van has no discrimination. As long as you are loyal, it doesn't matter if you are Frannian. As long as you have the capability, the King will use you. Duke Wesly became too powerful. They were able to push his daughter's son as the crown prince. You are being used by the king to check and balance Duke Wesly in the sea, but you will be miserable once you lose the king's umbrella," said Wilder. His life was saved by Franco. It's his turn to save his life.

Franco's eyes also have tears. He was also heartbroken when he knew what Lola had witnessed. He feels grief for the cruel experiences of the father and daughter. But finally, they found happiness in Baynard. He is aware of his current situation. His life is not only in danger but even that of his family. Duke Wesly will not let him go.

"I'll think about it first," said Franco. It cannot be rushed because one wrong step could exterminate his family.

"I will come back after a month, Uncle," said Wilder. They are the only people in the pub. The old man left the pub earlier to give privacy to Wilder and his uncle.

Wilder returned to Baynard and reported the result to Edgar.

Edgar let Wilder borrow a big boat to fulfill his promise to his daughter. For Edgar, it is a small matter to let a capable Navy commander borrow a big boat for his daughter. Fran kingdom is wallowing in regret for letting go of a capable commander, but Duke Wesly is gritting his teeth. He can no longer count how many times he cursed Wilder. He is regretting so much that he did not kill Wilder.