Chapter 178 Blessing

When he woke up again, Lin En found himself staring into the pitch-black sky. The rumbling of engines and the clanking of treads filled his ears, but the intense gunfire was nowhere to be heard. The pain in his legs served as a reminder that the bullet wounds were not just a dream. His right shoulder throbbed with a tearing pain as he struggled to turn his head and saw Wolfram sitting beside him. With great effort, Lin En managed to utter a few weak syllables.

Wolfram leaned in closer, exclaiming, "Oh! Sir! You're awake!"

His exclamation startled the others around them. Bruhl, Tanze, Techimel, Noah, and Frederick's voices mingled together, making Lin En dizzy.

"Alright, quiet down, everyone!" Wolfram assumed the air of a small leader, and with his command, the cacophony subsided. Lin En gathered his strength for a moment before speaking again, his voice clearer this time. His condition couldn't be too bad if he could speak clearly.

"What's the situation? Did we break through?"

"Yes, sir! After a fierce battle, we managed to repel the Soviets. The 12th Army sent a detachment just in time to assist us. We're now within the 12th Army's defensive zone!"

"Oh?" Lin En felt a surge of relief. They had finally broken out of Berlin!

Suddenly, a quacking voice came from the front of the carriage, "Hey, soldier, thank you for saving my children!"

Upon hearing the voice, Lin En quickly asked Wolfram to help him sit up. His leg wounds had been bandaged, causing only intermittent pain. However, the wound on his shoulder puzzled Lin En. Was it from the shrapnel when he passed out?

"Um, esteemed... Minister of National Education and Propaganda..."

"It's Minister of National Education and Propaganda..." the thin man corrected himself self-deprecatingly. He held several children in his arms, all huddled in a corner of the armored vehicle. A woman in a plain dress sat opposite him, holding two older children in her arms. This scene reminded Lin En of Alice.

"How did you end up here..." Lin En realized his question was inappropriate. After all, Goebbels and his family's fate was historical fact. Why assume they had to stay in Berlin and face death?

"Disappointing, isn't it?" the thin man's tone was sharp, seemingly defensive.

"That's not what I meant, esteemed Minister of National Education and Propaganda!" Lin En hurriedly clarified, pausing to catch his breath. The thin man continued, "It's okay. As long as we can continue to fight, the stage doesn't matter!"

Lin En glanced at Wolfram. There were six children, the oldest around ten, the youngest only three or four—the same age as the girl he had saved. Two of the children had bandages on their foreheads or cheeks, indicating minor injuries. The others seemed unharmed. In such circumstances, Lin En deliberately asked, "Are you and your family okay?"

The thin man replied, "Thanks to you and your soldiers, Magda and the children are fine! We'll never forget this kindness!"

"You're too kind!" Lin En replied politely.

"Duty is one thing, but seeing you risk your life to save my daughters, such courage and selflessness deserve the highest reward! Soldier, tell me your name!" Despite his current circumstances, the thin man's tone remained proud, as if he would return to his former high position one day, rather than live in obscurity after the fall of the Empire.

Lin En calmly replied, "I'm Lin En Garg, SS sergeant, esteemed Minister!"

"Lin En Garg..." the thin man muttered to himself, suddenly recalling, "Oh, you're the war hero, the model SS officer, Lin En Garg! My God, I thought that was just..."

Lin En knew what Goebbels didn't say. It was probably something like "empty boasts" or "bragging." He didn't feel disappointed but admitted, "Oh, I really appreciate Eva's reporting and documentation. Without her, I'd still be an unknown soldier!"

Accustomed to receiving compliments, Lin En was surprised that this time the praise was directed at his subordinates rather than himself. Goebbels was unexpected, not underestimating Lin En. From his words, one could infer his thoughts. "Nietzsche said, 'Even buried gold will shine!' Soldiers like Sergeant Garg, brave and loyal to the Fuhrer, will eventually be widely recognized!"

Lin En was about to speak, but the pain from his leg and shoulder wounds made him curse silently: he should have endured the pain when he needed to, instead of risking himself like this. Next time, he would be more careful!

Though grateful to Lin En, Goebbels and he were not on the same level. After a round of thanks and pleasantries, both fell silent. With their parents nearby, the six children didn't cry. Some fell asleep, while others whispered to their parents from time to time. The Goebbels couple patiently answered their questions—had it not been for the thin man's special status, Lin En would have seen only thick parental love. But now, he wanted to use this relationship to uncover some hidden historical secrets, but he didn't want to ask indiscriminately. Thus, he waited for the right moment.

About an hour later, dawn finally broke, and Allied planes appeared on the horizon. Despite the protection from the 12th Army, the armored units couldn't move during the day. They soon entered a birch forest, where the trees were over ten meters tall, providing cover for the parked vehicles.

After the armored vehicles came to a halt, it took several minutes before the rear door of the carriage was opened. Goebbels's children showed full-fledged fear at the creaking sound. After Bruhl, Techimel, and other soldiers made way, two army medics carrying medical kits climbed onto the armored vehicle. They first checked the children's health one by one, then carefully asked about the Goebbels' condition. Seeing that the prominent figures of the Empire and their families were unharmed, one of them turned to Lin En, silently examining his wounds. Then, he said coldly, "The leg needs to be sutured and stopped bleeding immediately!"

Hearing this, Goebbels suddenly became excited, exclaiming, "Handle it immediately! We must find a way to save our heroic soldier's leg at all costs, and nothing unexpected must happen! Surgery must be performed immediately!"

At first, Lin En and the two army medics were surprised, but they understood why Goebbels was so moved when they thought of his leg disability caused by polio. The medics quickly brought a stretcher and carefully lifted him off the armored vehicle. By this time, other soldiers had already set up tents in the forest, and there seemed to be quite a few wounded from the previous battle, some of whom were wearing black uniforms like the armored soldiers. Lin En glanced over and saw a military officer who looked like Bach entering a tent painted in gray-brown camouflage. After the Goebbels couple got off the vehicle, they led the children to the tent.

"Anesthesia! Anesthesia!" The routine voice of a male army medic brought Lin En's attention back. He saw that the gloves of these battlefield medics were already stained with blood, and he heard the subdued groans of the soldiers undergoing surgery, making him feel nervous—this was completely different from the tension of his first time on the battlefield.

"Local anesthesia, quickly!"

With a furrowed brow, the army medic picked up scissors and cut through the blood-soaked gauze along the wound. Although Lin En was in pain, he endured it without a sound. He lay there and glanced around, seeing that Wolffrum and others were being kept outside the makeshift operating room. Outside, injured soldiers were continuously being brought in, indicating that they were all soldiers who had been wounded in previous battles and had only received temporary first aid.

Compared to the pain from the wound, the sting from the needle was bearable. However, the anesthesia hadn't taken effect yet, and the medic was impatiently tending to Lin En's wound—even if it was just a gentle wipe, the sensation was piercing. Lin En felt like every second was as long as a century. He relied on his strength as a man and his resilience as a soldier to endure, but eventually, he passed out.