3. Who Are You?

Bill sat in front of Emma's fruit stall until morning. The stall owner was quite surprised to see Bill there in the same clothes. However, she didn't ask any questions because she saw Bill's somewhat rumpled expression.

As Bill was cleaning up the fruit scattered on the floor, a fruit buyer who had been there since before Bill arrived approached him.

Bill turned to him with an astonished look. "Yes, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Yes, General."

Bill's pupils suddenly dilated at the call.

Why was this man calling him 'General'?

Did he recognize him?

But how could he?

Bill quickly put down the fruit basket and looked at the neatly dressed young man with a probing look.

"Who are you? Why are you calling me 'General'?"

The young man, who Bill guessed was much younger than him, said, "It's me, General. Your subordinate. Andrew."

Bill squinted, trying to remember.

Only a few people knew his real face.

Was it perhaps someone he knew? But, it doesn't feel like his face is what it looks like now, Bill thought.

"Andrew Reece?" Bill said hesitantly.

The young man wearing the black shirt smiled happily. "Yes, General. I'm Andrew Reece. You still recognize me, I'm very flattered."

Bill sighed. "What happened to your face?"

"I was hit by an explosion while fighting against the De Kruk Kingdom, my face was damaged. I had to undergo surgery and this is the result."

Bill nodded in understanding, and then asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"That ... that ... royal intelligence, General. Actually, we've been looking for you for almost two years but only succeeded now. We thought you were ... gone because we couldn't find your whereabouts."

"Does anyone know I'm here besides you?" Bill asked.

"Only me, King Keannu and the royal secretary, General."

Bill nodded, "So, why did you come here?"

"I ... I was sent by King Keannu to bring you back, General."

Bill's thick right eyebrow instantly raised, "Return? What do you mean?"

"We need your power, rather it is the Kingdom of Ans De Low that needs you, General," Andrew said.

"I resigned from my posistion three years ago. Don't call me 'General anymore'."

"You remain our Invicible General. The God of War. How could we ever forget that?" Andrew insisted.

Bill exhaled harshly, "Tell King Keannu that I will not return."

Andrew knew it would be difficult but he didn't expect to be rejected outright like that.

"But, General. If you don't return, King Keannu will be in danger."

Bill turned his head calmly, "I still can't return."

"Why is that, General?"

Bill chuckled, "Don't you see I already have a new life?"

"Yes, I understand. But the King-"

"No, you don't. Go away! I have to work," Bill shooed him away.

Andrew remained motionless from where he stood.

Annoyed at being stared at in such a way by his former subordinate, Bill said again, "Reece, are you not going to obey my orders now?"

A hopeful thought came to Andrew's mind, "Are you coming back, General?"

Bill knew Andrew quite well. The young man was a very determined and unyielding soldier. He thought that if he didn't give him a clear answer soon, then he wouldn't leave.

"Give me two days!"

Andrew immediately smiled, "Yes, General. The day after tomorrow, I will come to pick you up."

"I mean, give me two days to think about it," Bill corrected.

Andrew looked disappointed but considering it was better than being rejected outright, he said, "Yes, General. I'll come back in that time to ask for your decision."

"Hm. Now go away, you're interrupting my work hours!" Bill snapped.

Andrew was actually quite surprised by Bill's new life. But he knew that the god of war wouldn't do any work without a clear purpose, so Andrew didn't dare to ask questions and just bowed in respect to Bill before he left Emma's fruit stall.

Emma, who was sitting at the cash register, was a little dumbfounded by the scene.

"Who is he, Bill? Your friend?"

"No, he's just looking for an address," Bill replied.

"But I saw that he had a long talk with you, he also saluted you. Why is that?"

Bill turned his head and hung the wine over, "Because he didn't understand when I explained, ma'am. If it's a salute, well maybe it's as a thank you."

"Uh, very strange. In this modern age he still asks people for directions? Doesn't he use phone?" Emma said.

"Maybe so," Bill replied.

Bill continued his work until late afternoon.

"Aren't you going home?" Emma asked looking suspicious.

"I don't have anywhere to go, can I stay here?" Bill asked.

Although Emma wanted to know, the old lady wouldn't have asked if Bill hadn't told her himself so she just nodded.

When Andrew came two days later to the fruit stall, the young man was forced to swallow his disappointment because Bill refused to return.

Bill stayed at the fruit stand for more than a week.

One evening, a relative, Cassandra's aunt, Maggie, who was quite kind to him, called him. "Bill, have you heard about the news?"

"Heard about what, Aunt Maggie?"

"Cassandra. Since you left home, my father has decided to marry her off to Leonardo Finch."

"But I'm not divorced from Cassie yet, Auntie."

"It's like you don't know my father, he must be using every means possible to smoothen his plans."

Bill started to get confused. Right now he didn't have anything he could use against the Wood family.