Chapter 106: Re-encountering Ludwig

Morin paused, but still asked the question that concerned him most:

“Madam, has the Captain’s pension been disbursed? Were there any issues?”

“Yes, we have received it, Mr. Morin.”

Madam Hauser nodded: “The people from the City Hall delivered it a few days ago. There were no issues. They also said that when Barnes reaches the required age, he can directly enter the military academy for his studies.”

Hearing this, Morin felt a sense of relief.

It seemed the Empire’s pension system was functioning relatively normally, without any signs of embezzlement or delay.

“That’s good. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can contact me anytime through the garrison’s administrative office.”

Morin finished speaking and placed a slip of paper with his name and current unit number on the table.

Madam Hauser glanced at the paper, then shook her head:

“Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Morin, but… we cannot impose on you and the military any further.”

Just then, a boy of about ten years old ran out from the inner room.

He looked curiously at Morin, who was in a military uniform, showing no fear of strangers.

“Mommy, who is this uncle?”

“Barnes, say hello to Uncle Morin quickly.” Madam Hauser pulled her son closer.

Morin saw a framed photo of Captain Hauser and the little boy hanging on the living room wall.

In the photo, Captain Hauser and the little boy were both wearing Saxon military uniforms, crossing a street.

“Uncle Morin, are you my Daddy’s comrade?”

Little Barnes looked up, asking in a clear voice.

“Yes,” Morin crouched down and stroked his head.

“They said my Daddy is a hero, right?”

Hearing his question, Morin nodded without hesitation: “Yes, he is a hero to all of us.”

Receiving the affirmative answer, the little boy’s face filled with pride.

He puffed out his chest and spoke to Morin with an incredibly serious tone:

“Uncle, when I grow up, I want to join the army just like Daddy and become a hero of the Empire!”

Morin looked into his clear, determined eyes. For a moment, his throat felt clogged, and he couldn’t utter a word.

He didn’t know whether to encourage him or discourage him…

After all, judging by the current situation in this world, a major war between the great powers was likely inevitable in the coming decades.

Joining the military at this point was clearly not a good choice.

But in the end, he could only pat the little boy’s head again, then stood up and took his leave.

Leaving Captain Hauser’s home, Morin lost all desire to stroll through the town, so he instructed the coachman to drive him directly back to the manor.

It was close to noon when he arrived at the manor.

The lunch, the ‘main meal,’ was very extravagant, with all sorts of food covering the long table. But Morin looked at the exquisite dishes and found he had no appetite at all.

His mind was filled with little Barnes’s words: “I want to join the army just like Daddy.”

He quickly ate a few bites, then excused himself to Cecilia and returned to his room alone.

Watching Morin’s somewhat crestfallen figure, Cecilia also subconsciously frowned.

She wanted to talk to Morin as she used to, but ever since he returned from the battlefield, she felt a subtle barrier had formed between them.

In the afternoon, Morin packed his simple luggage and, along with Cecilia, boarded a passenger train that had an entire carriage reserved, heading back to the capital of the Saxon Empire—Dresden.

After disembarking at the Dresden Central Station, the train continued to a suburban station that was normally not open to the public and stopped there.

As soon as they got off the train, Morin saw a number of black automobiles waiting silently by the platform.

Several chauffeurs and servants respectfully came forward upon seeing Cecilia.

“Madam, welcome back.”

Cecilia nodded slightly, then, taking Morin with her, she got into the leading automobile, which was powered by a brilliant crystal internal combustion engine.

The sight made Morin once again profoundly realize the sheer ‘money power’ possessed by his ‘older sister.’

The automobile smoothly drove away from the station, following the wide road toward the outskirts of the city.

Morin looked out the window at the city, which was both familiar and strange.

Dresden, known as the ‘Florence on the Elbe,’ was not only the capital of the Saxon Empire but also the Empire’s cultural and artistic center.

Baroque-style architecture was everywhere. Magnificent palaces, churches, and opera houses formed the city’s splendid panorama.

However, beneath the veneer of prosperity, Morin also keenly noticed an unusual atmosphere.

Besides ordinary citizens, he saw many soldiers in various uniforms on the streets.

Newsboys loudly hawked the latest newspapers. The headlines, without exception, covered the Aragonese campaign and the Paris negotiations.

The air was filled with a complex mix of excitement, pride, and anxiety.

The automobile finally stopped in front of an even larger manor outside the city.

If the Zwickau manor was a restrained, ancient castle, the one before them now was an outright palace.

A massive fountain, neatly trimmed Gallic-style gardens, and the main building, which was grand to the point of exaggeration, all showcased the owner’s wealth and status.

“You should live here from now on, Fritz.”

Cecilia led Morin into the gilded main hall and said to him.

“I’ve already had your old room prepared.”

Morin looked at the ridiculously large hall. He felt his previous thought of ‘being a useless layabout, living off others’ seemed… not so unattainable anymore.

In the evening, Morin stayed alone in his oversized bedroom, contemplating what he should do during this period of leave.

Returning to the barracks was out of the question; the entire camp was empty now.

Look up old classmates or friends? His memories suggested he didn’t really have anyone he could call a friend during his time at the Central Military Academy…

Just as he was feeling bored, a butler knocked on his door.

“Young Master Morin, you have a visitor downstairs.”

“A visitor?” Morin was surprised.

He had just returned to Dresden. Who would be looking for him?

He followed the butler down to the reception room.

As he entered, he saw a familiar figure.

The man, wearing a sharp Teutonic Knight Order field-grade officer’s service uniform, was standing with his back to Morin, admiring an oil painting on the wall.

“Lieutenant Colonel… von Seeckt?”

Morin tentatively called out. He knew he used to address the man directly by his first name, but now he consciously used the proper formal address.

“You should just call me Ludwig… And I won’t use your family name, Friedrich.”

Ludwig turned around, a genuine smile on his face.

“I didn’t expect you to be back in Dresden so soon. I came to find you as soon as I heard you were back. I didn’t even have a chance to say two words to you before I was forcibly brought home from the rear base…”

“Me too!”

Morin laughed, walking forward and embracing Ludwig.

“I was planning to look for you after I settled the troops, only to find you were already gone.”

“Hahaha, the important thing is that we made it back alive. Oh, by the way,”

Ludwig’s expression turned serious, and he spoke earnestly to Morin:

“The Grand Master of our Teutonic Knight Order is very interested after learning about the effectiveness of the ‘shaped charge anti-armor warhead.’ He wants to conduct more standardized testing within the military as soon as possible. So, Morin, you can prepare the documentation these days, and then I’ll take you to the Imperial Patent Office to complete the application!”

(End of this Chapter)

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