Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 40 The Talkative Aristocrat and Me in My Fallen State

I ate a sausage with some soaked black bread, then ate a lot of thoroughly stewed potatoes, and finally had a cup of coffee that was still awful.

"Ugh~"

Morin finally felt like he had come back to life.

But the unease in his heart never dissipated.

He wiped his mouth and found Sergeant Klaus and his orderly Hans.

"Come on, come with me somewhere."

Morin, along with the two others, borrowed three bicycles from the supply train and rode straight towards the only cathedral in the city.

That is also the highest point in the entire city.

He planned to climb the bell tower so he could see for himself what was happening outside the city.

The church, unaffected by the previous battles, appeared solemn and dignified.

After explaining their purpose to a somewhat nervous priest at the door, the priest, who spoke Saxon, hesitated for a moment before leading them to the bottom of the clock tower stairs.

"Klaus, Hans, you two talk to this priest and get a general idea of ​​the situation in the city. See if there's anything unusual."

After giving a brief instruction, Morin climbed the spiral staircase leading to the top of the clock tower alone.

The steps were narrow and steep, and the light was dim.

When he pushed open the small door leading to the top floor, he found that someone was already there.

Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig of the Teutonic Knights, and another armored knight pilot he did not recognize beside him.

The former was holding a telescope, seemingly observing the movements outside the city.

Seeing Morin come up, Ludwig put down his binoculars and said something to his companion beside him.

The driver, William, glanced at Morin with some surprise, then nodded and turned to go down the stairs.

At the top of the clock tower, only Morin and Ludwig remained.

Morin didn't speak. He saluted Ludwig and walked to the wooden railing, raising his binoculars and looking towards the northeast of Seville.

Cities of this era lacked skyscrapers, but church bell towers, situated at the highest points, offered unparalleled panoramic views.

The plains, forests, and roads outside the city were clearly visible to him.

However, he saw no signs of a large-scale mobilization of the Kingdom's army; everything seemed too calm.

"Their retreat was very orderly, with no signs of chaos."

Ludwig's voice rang out from the side.

"It doesn't feel like a rout, but more like they're gathering their fists, preparing to deliver an even heavier blow. Your concerns are certainly valid."

Maureen put down his binoculars and turned to look at him.

Ludwig was also looking at him, his eyes filled with inquiry and curiosity.

"To be honest, I really find it hard to connect the current you with the Maureen I saw at the party in Stuttgart."

Upon hearing what the other person said, Morin was taken aback.

Is this another acquaintance?

"You seem surprised?"

Seeing that Morin looked completely unfamiliar, Ludwig smiled:
"That's not surprising, after all, you're always surrounded by noble ladies at the party, so you wouldn't be paying attention to me."

"I'm really sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig. I'll definitely be more careful next time."

"."

Ludwig was genuinely surprised by Morin's response, and swallowed back all his words. However, he still stared intently at Morin and continued, "But I really can't understand how someone like that could display such bravery and sharpness on the battlefield."

Was he trying to find out my background, or was he just curious?

Maureen's mind raced, but she found herself completely unable to explain it.

Although he has gradually recalled much of the past of the original owner of this body, there are still many blanks for him.

Therefore, he chose the safest course of action—silence is golden.

Ludwig didn't seem to expect a reply. He leaned against the railing and started talking to himself like a chatterbox.

"But that's fine too. The Empire's army needs warriors like you, not useless bums who only know how to boast at parties."

"Oh, and Ms. Cecilia too. I wonder what her reaction will be when she finds out you've transformed into this."

"I heard she sent a telegram directly to General Mackensen's headquarters, which infuriated the old general."

He kept talking on and on, completely ignoring whether Maureen responded.

Morin was surprised that Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig seemed to know quite a lot.

However, he didn't respond, but just listened silently, memorizing all the information about the original owner.

The most important thing is that we know the 'noble lady' who delivered the telegram is a woman named Cecilia, but it is not yet clear what the original owner's relationship with this woman is.

"By the way, it seems that my self-important sister has misjudged me this time too."

"You have a younger sister?"

"."

Ludwig's expression shifted several times before finally settling down.

"It seems Lieutenant Morin has recovered from the shock of being rejected on the spot quite quickly. I didn't expect him to forget Patrecia so soon."

Upon hearing Patrecia's name, a blurry image of a blonde girl flashed through Maureen's mind, just as Ludwig had said, someone with whom she seemed to have some connection.

However, Ludwig did not continue on this topic and soon chatted with Morin about other things, which made Morin realize that this noble driver was a chatterbox.

The two stayed on the bell tower for a long time, until they confirmed that there was no unusual activity outside the city, before leaving one after the other.

When Morin returned to the outskirts of the city where his troops were stationed, he found that the scene had changed drastically.

After confirming that the people entering the city were the National Army and their allies, the residents of Seville came out of their homes.

It is evident that the National Army and the International Brigades enjoy considerable popularity among the people of the Kingdom of Aragon.

That's true, at least in Seville.

The enthusiastic citizens spontaneously brought out the bread, cheese, and wine they didn't have much of at home to reward the soldiers who had 'liberated' them from the Kingdom's army.

Consequently, these 'allies' of the Saxon Empire also benefited.

Soldiers from the National Army and the International Brigades accepted food offered by the citizens with restraint, their faces beaming with simple smiles. The entire square was filled with laughter and joy, creating a peaceful and happy atmosphere.

However, the Saxon soldiers were still somewhat wary, after all, this was another country to them, and the soldiers of the kingdom they had fought against before were essentially composed of civilians from the Kingdom of Aragon.

Therefore, Morin understood their reaction. In his previous life, he had studied military history and learned that after the German army invaded Belgium during World War I, they were in a state of paranoia due to the attacks by guerrillas and some Belgian civilians.

Coupled with the pressure from several setbacks in the early stages of the war, some German troops attacked civilians and violated military discipline after entering towns.

Just as Morin was pondering whether he should pay attention to maintaining team discipline to prevent similar situations from occurring, his fears came true.

A street in the distance suddenly erupted in commotion; civilians screamed and fled, while soldiers rushed over.

When Maureen arrived at the scene, she felt that there must be some kind of mystical thing about her.

Otherwise, how could what you feared come true?
Several Saxon soldiers were seen standing in front of a civilian house, guns raised, confronting the National Army and International Brigades soldiers around them.

They had cheese and cured meat strung on ropes hanging from their bodies, clearly retrieved from the house.
(End of this chapter)