Buck was resigned to his fate, but compared to washing underwear, getting a little tired wasn't so bad.
At worst, he'd just be wasting a bit of time in the morning and evening.
Besides… beating someone up was actually pretty satisfying, it was a great stress reliever!
Meanwhile, as Jay was busy growing stronger, Colonel Hammond was having a much harder time.
From his perspective, with the land deed in hand and his status as a naval colonel, acquiring the rubber plantation should have been effortless.
After all, the so-called Sori family was just one of many noble houses in the Rose Kingdom, nothing particularly powerful or influential.
Surely, they wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse him.
But reality had a way of surprising people.
The Sori family outright dismissed his representatives, using the excuse that "the land deed has always been in our possession," and "politely" sent them away.
Getting stonewalled like that infuriated Colonel Hammond.
He was used to throwing his weight around, no one had dared disrespect him in a long time.
So, he decided to take the deed and confront them in person.
Yet, when he arrived at the Sori family's grand estate and presented the land deed, they merely laughed and pulled out an almost identical one.
Then, with barely concealed disdain, they declared that his deed was a fake, forged, and that he had been deceived.
Finally, they even proposed a deal: if Colonel Hammond handed over the fraudster who gave him the fake deed, along with the document itself, the Sori family would graciously donate a sum of supplies to the Marine's 88th Branch.
Colonel Hammond compared the two deeds side by side.
Most of the contents were the same, except for one crucial difference, the royal seal.
Jay's deed, passed down for generations, was old and worn, bearing the signature of a king from three reigns ago.
The Sori family's deed, however, was brand new, featuring the current king's royal seal.
Pairing this with the information he had gathered beforehand and the Sori family's smug attitude, Hammond immediately realized the game they were playing.
His face darkened. "Do you take me for an idiot? You know which one of these is forged."
The Sori family patriarch, Sori Syphilis … er, Severus, smiled and waved his hands. "No, no, no, our noble Sori family would never do such a thing."
"In fact, if you look closely at both deeds, it's quite simple to understand."
"The Nova family, the original owners, lost their noble status when their last heir disappeared. According to the kingdom's laws, all their holdings, including land, titles, and honors, were reclaimed."
"So, naturally, my land deed is the only legally recognized one. Yours? Just an outdated scrap of paper."
"Very well, Sori Severus. I'll remember you."
"Take care, Colonel. Safe travels."
Colonel Hammond left the Sori estate with a face as dark as a thundercloud.
Back at the base, the first thing he did was summon Jay.
Through Hammond's furious ranting, Jay finally pieced together what had happened.
He was slightly taken aback, he hadn't expected the Sori family to be this ruthless.
No wonder no one stopped him when he fled with the deed.
They had already planned for this outcome.
Thinking back, his past self had naively believed that if he worked hard enough in the Marine, he could one day reclaim his family's estate.
But reality was cruel.
The Sori family wouldn't have dared pull this stunt without securing every possible advantage.
Even someone as powerful as Hammond had been forced to back down.
"Third-Class Seaman Jay, I need an explanation."
After venting his rage, Colonel Hammond fixed Jay with a cold, piercing stare.
It was clear, if Jay couldn't compensate him for his losses, his fate would not be pleasant.
Jay's mind raced.
At this point, he had no choice but to gamble.
To bet on just how far the Sori family's greed would push them.
Taking a deep breath, he said calmly, "Sir, have you ever wondered how much wealth a noble house that has lasted three generations has accumulated?"
Hammond's eyes flickered. "What are you getting at?"
"Exactly what I said. I recently received intelligence that a certain pirate crew has set their sights on the Sori family."
"If we act before they escape with their wealth and wipe them out… that would be quite the achievement, wouldn't it?"
Jay didn't bother trying to explain himself.
Instead, he leveraged rumors to introduce an entirely new perspective.
Now, it all depended on just how greedy Hammond really was.
The colonel fell into thought, a contemplative look in his eyes.
Was the Sori family worth the risk?
After all, he had never personally targeted nobles before.
It was riskier than dealing with commoners or pirates.
His gaze settled on Jay.
If anything did go wrong, Jay could always be thrown under the bus.
"You're trying to use me to get revenge on them?"
Colonel Hammond took a trimmed cigar and placed it between his lips. Jay naturally stepped forward and lit it for him.
"I won't deny that I'd enjoy seeing the Sori family fall." Jay's voice was steady. "But more importantly, they disrespected you, sir.
"And from what I've heard, the Sori family has spent years hoarding wealth. A rough estimate? Over a billion.
"Ill-gotten gains like that, shouldn't the Marine rightfully confiscate them?"
Hammond exhaled a puff of smoke. "Nonsense! The Marine's duty is to eliminate pirates! We don't rob civilians!"
"Yes, sir. I misspoke. We wouldn't be taking from civilians."
"We would be confiscating the Sori family's stolen wealth… from the pirates that robbed them."
Hammond finally smirked and nodded in satisfaction.
Then, in a warning tone, he said, "Jay, you're a smart man. Handle this. I only care about results."
Jay snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Both men understood the stakes.
If this worked, they would both profit.
If it failed, Jay would take the fall for everything.
But Jay didn't mind.
If things went south, he'd just disappear, he wasn't bound to the Marine.
Besides, he was confident that he could use this opportunity to completely eliminate the Sori family.
And, of course, make a little profit of his own.
After all, he still had three empty system slots to fill.
This was the perfect chance to earn some cash and roll the dice.
For now, both he and Colonel Hammond were just using each other.
T/N: Thank for reading so far here is an extra chapter enjoy :)