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墨書 Inktalez
"Boss! Give me a can of Wheat beer."
After finishing a day of labor, Lieutenant Ralph walked into his favorite pub. He always goes there for a drink after work. He doesn't drink much, not because he can't handle it, but because he's short on money.
Fortunately, the owner here is very friendly and always tops up Ralph's glass when he hasn't finished his drink.
Ralph once asked the boss why he did this, and the answer he got was that there are so many frustrated people in Germany now, and I can still live a decent life, so why not give them a little help? Since then, Ralph has become a regular at this tavern.
Mister Lieutenant Ralph joined the German Army in 1914 at the age of 24. When World War I broke out, Ralph joined the army with the determination to serve his country. He participated in more than twenty battles, including the battles of Meuse River and Verdun, as well as the Battle of the Emperor.
At first, Ralph, who was determined to kill the enemy, fought bravely on the battlefield, eager for combat, and always charged to the front line.
He once led the charge out of the trench under enemy fire, braving the sweep of the Maxim gun, and into the French people's trench. For Ralph's reckless behavior, his platoon leader would always scold him as a thoughtless brute, telling him to go die over there, as he would never take care of him. However, Ralph always managed to charge into the French people's trench alive and win the hand-to-hand combat.
Because of Ralph's strong body, he was invincible in hand-to-hand combat, and every time he fought, he could kill several French soldiers.
However, the battle was not always smooth sailing. Several times, Ralph recklessly separated from his teammates and was surrounded by multiple French soldiers, suffering serious injuries. At the most severe moment, half of his face was cut off, leaving a terrifying scar like a centipede on his face.
But whenever it was a matter of life and death, his teammates were always able to come to his rescue in times of peril. His Platoon Leader used a Luger P08 pistol to shoot and kill four French soldiers who were attacking Ralph during the Battle of the Marne.
At that time, exhausted Ralph lay weakly on the trench, murmuring to himself, "Thank God, Almighty Father..." Before he could finish his prayer, he was harshly kicked by the Platoon Leader.
"Don't rush to pray; it's better to wait until the battle is over to pray for your teammates. We are just one chaplain short," said the Platoon Leader, turning around and shooting a soldier from the Judge faction who attempted to ambush them.
Watching his comrades from the Seventh Platoon bravely fighting against the enemy, Ralph gradually felt a strange sense of emotion rising within him.
In 1914, the most important thing for him was to serve country, to fight for Germany and to eliminate the enemy as much as possible to gain territory under the sun. However, as he continued to experience battles, Ralph gradually began to enjoy the thrill of fighting alongside his teammates, and he started to try to change his solitary nature and interact with his teammates. When Ralph's Seventh Platoon was replaced on the battlefield, he had already bonded with all the soldiers in the Seventh Platoon, and he even remembered each person's name clearly. The Platoon Leader was named Rolf, and he had a younger brother named Jürgen who was receiving training in the rear and might be heading to the battlefield next year. There was a young man named Peter in the mess hall, and his twin brother, Park, was in the same platoon as himself.
Whenever resting in the rear, the Seventh Platoon always arranges a Campfire dinner. Everyone gathers together to enjoy a feast that cannot be found on the front lines. In the era of World War I, which lacked bombers, there was indeed little need to worry about being bombed in the rear.
After the hearty meal, Platoon Leader Rolf would always ask everyone what they wanted to do after the war. Each person's answer was different, but when it was Ralph's turn to answer, he would always solemnly say that helping Germany win This war was the thing he most wanted to do.
His answer always elicited laughter from the crowd, and the slightly tipsy Platoon Leader Rolf would proudly pat his shoulder and say,
"This is our soldier from the Seventh Platoon. With soldiers like him, Germany can achieve victory." The people around would applaud enthusiastically, followed by even louder laughter. Time passed day by day, but the war would not stop.
As the war intensified, the familiar faces of Seventh Platoon became fewer and fewer. The twin brother, Parker, was killed in the Battle of Ypres, while his brother Peter died in Verdun, directly hit by heavy artillery from the French people. This unlucky guy was said to have been directly hit by a shell. His Platoon Leader, Rolf, was killed in the Battle of the Emperor.
On that day, Ralph charged forward as usual, but this time, his familiar teammates were no longer there. The replacements for Seventh Platoon were all new recruits, who had no courage to advance under fire.
Ralph ventured alone into the territory of the French people and unsurprisingly found himself under siege. This time, there was no one to rescue him. Ralph was hit in the torso by three bullets. Although they didn't strike any vital organs, they made it difficult for him to continue fighting, and he was on the brink of being killed.
Just as Ralph was in despair, he heard the familiar sound of gunfire. It was Rolf charging in with his Luger P08 pistol.
"Thank God you're not dead," Rolf said.
"Be careful!" Ralph was touched and was about to thank when he saw Platoon Leader being ambushed by French people from behind. Rolf immediately turned around and fired his gun, and two shots rang out almost simultaneously. The French soldiers across from them fell down weakly, followed closely by Rolf.
"Are you okay, Platoon Leader?" Ralph crawled over in panic and saw the ground covered in blood beneath Rolf.
"I'll carry you back."
"It's no use, you go back by yourself. I'm bleeding from an artery, there's no hope," Platoon Leader weakly responded, blood continuously flowing from his thigh.
"No, I have to save you and take you back."
Ralph wanted to persist, but seeing Platoon Leader put his hand on the grenade's ring at his waist, he had to stop.
"Retreat, this is an order."
Looking at the determined gaze of the Platoon Leader, Ralph could only crawl out of the trench and run towards his own lines. On his way, he heard a sharp explosion; he knew it was the sound of a grenade going off.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..." Ralph silently prayed in his heart.
Perhaps the prayer worked, or maybe he was just lucky, but not a single bullet crossed his path as he successfully made it back to safety.
After the Battle of the Emperor, Ralph was promoted to lieutenant, but he was not happy at all. For him, the weight of this military rank was nothing compared to the lives of his comrades.
Ralph became silent again, spending his days either in battle or drinking. Winning this damn war had become the only hope to keep him fighting.
Unfortunately, on November 3, 1918, with a gunshot at Kiel Port, the German Empire lost World War I. When this news reached Ralph's ears, he did not react as he had imagined, but instead felt a sense of relief.
"Finally it's over, what a nightmare," Ralph said to his superior as he bid farewell, intending to become a priest in the countryside. However, Ralph did not get to leave the army as he had hoped. Due to his outstanding performance in World War I, Seeckt's 100,000 National Defense Forces plan included this small lieutenant. Ralph returned to the army and served as a Platoon Leader in the First Infantry Division in Berlin, Germany, specifically in the Seventh Platoon. However, Ralph did not participate in training. His part-time involvement was not only for a living but also to avoid combat, even if it was just training.
His daily routine consisted of moving bricks and drinking, while reminiscing about the past. Ralph had lost interest in fighting.
As Ralph tilted his head back to drink, the door of the tavern was forcefully pushed open, and a sergeant in World War I German Army uniform rushed in, panting heavily. He looked at the astonished crowd in the tavern and shouted with all his might, "All brothers of the First Army Division, hurry back! The army is distributing gold bars!"
"Are you kidding me, Corporal Jürgen?" someone doubted.
"I'm serious! I’m not lying to you. Just now, our division commander, General Michael, told me in person that the military pay we owe is going to be distributed now. He asked everyone to gather at the drill ground immediately; no delays!" Jürgen shouted loudly.
"Charge! The army is handing out gold bars!" Some clever soldiers had already rushed out.
Others, whether they believed it or not, followed suit, as there was no loss in just taking a look. Thus, amidst the shouts of "The army is distributing gold bars" and "The army is distributing succubi," a large group of people set off towards the First Division's base in the suburbs.
"Aren't you going, Lieutenant Ralph?"
Jürgen, who has sharp eyes, noticed that Ralph was still sitting at the table without moving, so he walked over to inquire. Looking at the face in front of him that closely resembled the Platoon Leader, Ralph quickly finished the last glass of beer and said, "Go! Why aren't you going! I still need to go get money to drink more!"
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