Chapter 83: Second Class Iron Cross

Crown Prince Georg smiled and returned Major Thomas’s salute, then, accompanied by Lieutenant General Mackensen and others, walked toward the impeccably arrayed honor guard.

His pace was unhurried. He walked past the first rank, his gentle yet keen eyes sweeping across the face of every soldier.

Morin stood at the very front of the 1st Company’s formation, his saber resting diagonally on his shoulder. Under the greatest pressure, he could clearly feel the Crown Prince’s gaze lingering on him for a moment.

“You are First Lieutenant Friedrich Morin?”

The Crown Prince paused in front of Morin and asked.

His voice, like his face, was gentle. Morin couldn’t tell if the Crown Prince had deliberately trained it this way, but it conveyed a sense of amiability.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Morin answered loudly, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

“Hmm, very good.”

The Crown Prince nodded, said nothing more, and continued walking forward.

He moved slowly, occasionally pausing to exchange a few words with the soldiers in the front rank.

He walked and asked along the entire line.

His questions mostly revolved around basic topics like service, rations, and family.

And the soldiers who were addressed all stood tall and straight, answering every question with voices tinged with excitement.

Their faces radiated a sense of pride and honor at being personally recognized by the Imperial Crown Prince.

This seemingly casual questioning was both a method of boosting morale and an informal field inspection.

Morin, standing at the head of the company, slightly relaxed the taut string in his mind as he noticed the Crown Prince gradually approaching the end of the formation.

Good. No one made a mistake.

The atmosphere in the ranks, following the Crown Prince’s amiable conversation, slowly shifted from extreme tension to one of solemnity and enthusiasm.

As the inspection concluded, Crown Prince Georg walked to the front of the formation and stepped onto a small, pre-prepared platform, facing all officers and men of the 1st Battalion.

At a command from Major Thomas, the inspected soldiers quickly lowered their rifles to their sides.

“Soldiers of Saxony!”

Crown Prince Georg’s voice carried through the crisp morning air, echoing across the entire inspection ground.

“I, Georg, on behalf of my Father, thank you for your service and sacrifice for the Empire!”

His gaze swept over every young or weathered face in the formation, his tone filled with sincerity.

“Your courage has defended the Empire’s honor! Your sacrifice has brought a turning point to the battle! The Empire will forever remember your merits!”

“This military operation is crucial to the future development of the Empire! We must not only secure peace for our allies but also win the respect and rightful place the Empire deserves on the continent of Europa!”

“I believe that in future battles, you will continue to demonstrate your fearless spirit and achieve even greater victories for the Empire! His Majesty awaits the news of your triumphant return in Dresden!”

The speech was not long and lacked excessive flowery language, but in a monarchical state, the sight of the ruling class personally visiting the front line and speaking often significantly boosts morale.

“For the Emperor and the Empire!”

Major Thomas and Morin, following the pre-arranged procedure, simultaneously raised their sabers and issued a loud cheer.

Immediately after, the entire 1st Battalion erupted in a deafening, overwhelming roar.

“For the Emperor and the Empire!”

“For the Emperor and the Empire!”

The soldiers’ enthusiasm was completely ignited. They roared with all their strength, venting their excitement.

The Crown Prince smiled, nodding with satisfaction at the sight of the high-spirited soldiers before him, and then descended the platform.

Silence quickly returned to the inspection ground.

Following this, an officer beside the Crown Prince stepped forward, pulled a list from his folder, cleared his throat, and began reading names loudly.

He read several names in quick succession, all officers who had participated in the Battle of Seville, including Major Thomas.

“1st Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Zwickau Infantry Regiment, First Lieutenant, Friedrich Morin!”

Morin’s heart snapped to attention. Almost instinctively, he took a step forward and emerged from the ranks.

“1st Company Company Sergeant Major, Sergeant First Class, Schultz Klaus!”

“1st Company, 1st Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant, Sebastian Bowman!”

“…”

The names of officers and soldiers who had distinguished themselves in the defense of Seville were called out one after another. Most were veterans and NCOs who had survived the street fighting, along with a few wounded men who insisted on participating in the inspection despite their injuries.

All those whose names were called quickly and neatly formed a line in front of the Crown Prince.

They stood tall and straight, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.

The Crown Prince and an officer carrying a tray walked to the front of the line and began awarding medals to everyone individually.

When he reached Morin, he picked up a Second Class Iron Cross. The black cast-iron medal, inlaid with silver edges, looked especially solemn in the morning light.

“First Lieutenant Morin.”

The Crown Prince’s voice was low, but clear enough for Morin to hear perfectly.

“I have read the combat report, and your performance in Seville was outstanding. I hope you will continue to make more contributions to the Imperial Army.”

He spoke while pinning the medal onto Morin’s chest.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Morin, naturally, did not say anything unnecessary now, only responding with a deep affirmation.

The Crown Prince nodded at him and moved to the next person.

Company Sergeant Major Klaus stood proudly. His face, which was a very typical ‘German’ look, was flushed with excitement.

When the Crown Prince pinned the medal on him, the tough veteran, who was decisive in battle, had tears welling up in his eyes.

Although he had served for 16 years, the 8th Infantry Division had never been deployed to fight in overseas colonies, so Klaus had never had the opportunity to earn military merits.

The Second Class Iron Cross was essentially the highest honor a non-commissioned soldier could receive in a non-war state.

The awards ceremony proceeded with solemnity. Several soldiers wounded in the fighting, in addition to the Iron Cross, also received a black Third Class Wound Badge.

When presenting their medals, the Crown Prince specifically asked about their injuries and instructed the accompanying military doctors to take good care of them.

These subtle gestures were all recorded by the accompanying war correspondents’ cameras.

It was predictable that in the near future, these heartwarming photographs would spread across every corner of the Empire via newspapers, crafting a brilliant image of the Crown Prince as a leader who cherished his soldiers.

With the awards ceremony concluded, and after the Crown Prince delivered a few more words of encouragement, the brief field inspection came to an end.

The soldiers, under the command of their officers, were led back to the camp in an orderly fashion.

Morin and the other decorated officers, however, were asked to remain.

“First Lieutenant Morin, please stay a moment.” The Crown Prince’s aide-de-camp called out to Morin, who was about to rejoin his unit. “His Highness wishes to speak with a few of you.”

General Mackensen had already mentioned that the Crown Prince was very interested in the new tactics Morin had proposed. Morin had prepared for this meeting, knowing that the topic would inevitably come up.

He followed the aide-de-camp to a temporary tent set up next to the inspection ground. The furnishings inside were simple: a camp table and a few folding chairs.

In addition to Crown Prince Georg, General Mackensen and several other senior generals were also inside the tent.

“Please sit, all of you. Don’t be constrained,” the Crown Prince said, smiling and gesturing toward the chairs.

Morin and the other officers cautiously sat down, their backs ramrod straight.

The Crown Prince first spoke with the other officers, asking about the situation of their units and the difficulties they encountered in combat.

While Morin couldn’t be certain if this was for show or performance, the Crown Prince’s attitude seemed sincere to him, at least giving the impression of a genuine fact-finding mission.

Finally, his gaze settled on Morin.

(End of this Chapter)