187 Hero

When you hear about a request from a relative's, it's mostly about money... and this was also the case here. My mother-in-law and my brother-in-law wanted to borrow some money. The amount was relatively large... several thousand ducats, but I treated this loan as an investment, according to the principle that when you lend money to someone, these people avoid you later.

Another thing that I did not expect was that the arrival of my wife's family awakened in me previously unknown passions... every morning I left the castle and went to the blacksmiths, carpenters and other craftsmen, and to the best of my abilities I learned these professions... I didn't need it, but it was good excuse, and the physical work calmed me down... except for those moments when I hit my finger with a hammer. There is a saying in Poland, "swears like a shoemaker" ... if only more people could hear me at such a moment, they would say "swears like Jazłowiecki"

It turned out that I also had a talent for this, especially for woodworking, less for blacksmithing... I also tried to dye the fabrics, but it was terribly boring, the only reason I did not give up on this profession... was a steamy room and a large number of women who worked there dressed in skimpy clothes. They weren't all attractive, but tits are tits... even if some old lady asked me if I wanted to see her boobs my answer would be "yuck... okay show me."

I also focused my attention on more serious infantry training, so far I have dealt with this occasionally, putting all the work on Czarniecki, who coped with this task quite well, but having at home this scourge called family... my choice was obvious.

"Attention... and now sing the hymn of the regiment." (Rotmistrz Czarniecki)

It was like that every morning and evening, but always before that one of the soldiers on guard had to pull the regiment's banner on the pole. After a few minutes, when they finished singing the reworked version of "Pierwsza Kadrowa", it was my turn to train the soldiers.

"Now we will check how quickly you load your weapons. Anyone who does it slower than me, will have to march 10 kilometers in full gear. Rotmistrz, please measure my time." (MC)

There were a few people who managed to do it faster than me, but most of them couldn't and they had a nice walk in the charming scenery of Podolia. In addition to physical training, they also had theoretical and practical classes in building fortifications and trenches, each of my men was equipped with a small shovel and an ax, and each of the soldiers had to make good use of these tools.

"When you are on the battlefield and the cavalry charges at you. What do you do in this situation, private?" (MC)

A simple question to test the knowledge of the recruits.

"Of course we shoot the enemy, but our target is the horses, it's easier to hit, and even if we don't kill the animal... wounded, it is not fit for further fight. If they are a bit further we scatter the crow's foot on the ground. It will not stop the entire cavalry advance, but we will injure some amount of horses." (Private)

These were just the basics and I didn't train them to be generals, so I was satisfied with that answer... and so the days and weeks passed for me. However, my frequent absences were also noticed by Elisabeth.

"I know you are busy, but I don't really understand why, now that my family has arrived..." (Elisabeth)

"My dear wife, your brother wants to become a king, and I have my help. It takes time to prepare and oversee everything." (MC)

It wasn't a lie on my part, it was the sparing use of truth.

"I understand, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. My family is bored here, they lack entertainment." (Elisabeth)

Apparently intelligent people never get bored, which only confirms my opinion about my wife's family... but I couldn't tell her that.

"I'll think of something and organize it. Maybe a sleigh ride, the rivers are frozen so maybe skates... I'll think." (MC)

"Thank you, my mother or older siblings can always play cards or chess or read something, but younger siblings, you know." (Elisabeth)

It was not difficult, the next day I called some local peasants, we took saws, shovels, wooden molds and a few kilometers from Jazłowiec we built several igloos connected with each other by tunnels. It took us three days to prepare everything. There was a river in the area so it solved the problem of skating, and to get there you had to use a horse-drawn sleigh, we'll add a few more fires to this... I'm a fucking genius. If it weren't for my wife's whining, I wouldn't bother with it, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

Unfortunately, as someone wise said, every good deed must be punished. When we got there, everything was fine, the children were happy, Elisabeth was happy... but nothing can last forever, while skating, the ice broke under Sophie and she fell into the river.

My mother-in-law started to panic, scream... Personally, I thought that she had no reason to behave like this, even without Sophie, she had nine other children and, after all, she had experience in organizing funerals... My brother-in-law and the rest of the siblings, including Elisabeth, were useless, so there was nothing left for me to do but play the hero and get the girl out of the water... if I knew it would end this way, I wouldn't leave the house.