Chapter 200

"Left, right, left, right…"

In the early morning, before the sun had even risen, the sharp, commanding shouts of a military drill echoed through the village.

"March, turn left…"

"One, two, three, four."

The rhythmic sound of synchronized footsteps accompanied the shouts, creating a strangely comforting feeling that made one's heartbeat sync up with the cadence. It was a sound that brought a sense of reassurance.

"Such noise."

Lucas, disturbed and restless, abruptly threw off his covers, sitting up with a groan. Rubbing his dark circles, which made him look like a panda, he cursed under his breath. He'd been working late into the early hours for the past few days, and today, having finally reached a brief respite, he had hoped to sleep in, only to be thwarted by this noise.

"Awroo…"

A low, gurgling sound came from the foot of the bed. A furry, panda-like figure rolled over a couple of times before settling back down, unmoved.

"Honestly… so carefree." Lucas looked at the adorably clueless panda lying at the foot of the bed. The irritation caused by the noise was soothed by the sight of the peaceful, sleepy creature.

This little creature was always clinging to Lucas. If he wasn't seen for too long, it would let out loud, plaintive cries as if it were a neglected child.

A few days ago, Lucas had gone back to Earth for five or six hours, leaving the panda in the study room. When he returned to the study after dinner and opened the door, it looked as if a hyperactive Siberian Husky had been there.

The most exasperating part was that when the little guy saw Lucas, it would roll over and over until it reached his feet, clinging to them and refusing to let go, making soft, whining noises. Eventually, it would fall asleep holding onto Lucas's feet.

What was this behavior? Lucas wondered if the little panda had been scared or traumatized before and now found comfort in him, treating him like a surrogate mother.

"Creak..."

The door was gently pushed open, and a small head peeked in. It was Hazel, the little deer girl. Her first glance was at the panda on the floor.

"Ah."

Her second glance met Lucas's dark eyes, causing her deer ears to stand upright and her eyes to widen in surprise.

"Little Hazel, be quiet and don't wake the young master," Nicole said gently. "Let him sleep a bit longer."

"Y-Yes, Lady, he's awake." Hazel said timidly.

"Creak…"

"Hmm?" Nicole opened the door wider and saw Lucas sitting lazily on the bed, staring at them with a vacant, dead-fish-like expression.

This sight instantly made Nicole's heart flutter. Her gray eyes sparkled with admiration as she thought: So adorably cute.

But in the next moment, her concern surfaced. She spoke softly, "Young master, why don't you sleep a little longer? You don't need to start the morning training today."

"I can't sleep anymore." Lucas shook his head lazily and said, "Go call Uncle Ben, Tony, Jack, and Henry to gather in the study room after breakfast."

"Oh. And also call Max over."

"Understood." Nicole nodded.

"Little Hazel, if you want to play with Caesar, you can come in." Lucas yawned and said lazily.

The panda's name was 'Caesar'. Originally, Lucas had considered many names like rocket, chomper, but they were all rejected by everyone. In the end, he reluctantly settled on Caesar.

To Lucas, the name Caesar didn't seem endearing at all; names like Rocket or Chomper were much more charming.

"Really?" Hazel's face lit up with excitement.

Today was a holiday for Hazel, which meant that the entire elementary school was on break. Every six days they had a day off, and it was always her favorite time.

"Of course. Just be careful, though—Caesar is quite the little troublemaker." Lucas said with a light chuckle.

The little deer girl, whether due to her youth or lack of perceived threat, didn't seem to bother the panda at all.

"Okay." Hazel nodded obediently, her little legs carrying her over to the panda. She crouched down in front of Caesar, watching the panda sleep with wide, curious eyes, occasionally poking at the panda's plump face with her finger.

"Awroo..."

The panda, in its sleepy state, instinctively swiped at the air and wriggled its head before settling back into sleep.

"Hee hee hee..."

Hazel giggled quietly, covering her mouth, and reached out to poke Caesar again...

"Awroo~~"

"..."

Lucas chuckled softly, shaking his head as he got out of bed. With Nicole's assistance, he enjoyed a pleasant and lively breakfast.

"Yawn~~"

After finishing his meal, Lucas made his way to the study room, followed by Mina and Annie.

As for Helen, she had taken Ayesha to the orphanage. During holidays, Helen would always go to help out at the orphanage.

From a distance, Lucas saw Ben and the others waiting outside the study. Only Mina, Nicole, and Annie had the privilege of entering the study; others didn't have the key.

"Young Master (Lord Mayor)." They greeted him with a bow.

"Come on in." Lucas opened the door and walked inside, with everyone following closely behind.

Lucas settled into his chair, his hands clasped together as he regarded the group before him. He spoke softly, "I've called you all here today to announce a few things."

"Please, give us your orders." Ben responded immediately, with the others nodding in agreement.

"The army can no longer stay in the city." Lucas said calmly.

"Ah?" The group stared at Lucas in shock. What was going on? Were they disbanding the army?

"Take a look at this military reform document." Lucas said, handing over a file from his desk.

Ben took the document, and the others gathered around to read. As they examined the contents, their expressions grew increasingly alarmed. An unprecedented system was unfolding before their eyes.

"Master, if the army moves out of Sedona City, where will it be stationed outside the city?" Ben asked immediately, concerned since he was in charge of the military.

"The army will be stationed to the east of the city." Lucas explained. "It's a more remote area with natural defenses and is also the shortest route back to Sedona City. In case of any emergencies in the city, they can arrive within minutes."

Lucas pulled out a map and pointed to a specific area. "Here. I want it developed into a military fortress. It will become one of Sedona City's key defenses, alongside the naval forces."

"Naval forces?" The people present looked puzzled. What was this about?

"You'll find out in due time," Lucas said dismissively. He continued to point at the map. "After the army relocates from Sedona City, they will be responsible for patrolling the territory, conducting random patrols every day."

"Understood." Ben responded respectfully.

In fact, the area where the army would be stationed was strategically located to the east of Sedona City, aligning perfectly with Lucas's future plans to expand the city. It was meant to be a key military outpost.

Only Annie and Ben could discern this aspect of Lucas's grand expansion plans.

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