Chapter 75 Farewell, My Friend

Entering the defense perimeter of Königsberg, everyone, whether civilian soldiers on foot or officers traveling by car, had to undergo strict but not harsh inspections and be registered according to classification. Lynn naturally wouldn't receive any special treatment.

"11th Waffen SS Volunteer Armored Grenadier Division?"

The Defense Force officer responsible for registration glanced at Lynn's military ID card with interest.

"Um, there are still many officers and soldiers from our unit on the outer defensive lines. Just a bunch of poor souls who couldn't keep up with the main force, isn't it?" Lynn had prepared his response to this question in advance, so he delivered it smoothly, with pronunciation improved by Karl's corrections.

After confirming that the documents were in order, the officer shook his head in resignation. "With the way the war is going, nothing surprises me anymore! I heard your division is regrouping near Stettin. Go to the harbor area and find the Keil Hotel. Ask the personnel at the rear logistics command there if they can arrange for you to board a ship as soon as possible. There should still be ships heading to Stettin soon!"

Although reluctant to leave the uncertain fate of "The Butcher" behind alone, seeing the officer's goodwill, Lynn earnestly thanked him and inquired, "How long do you think they'll have to wait to board the ship?"

The officer glanced through the window glass at a family standing by the roadside. "I can't say for sure about that. Maybe two days, maybe a week. It depends mainly on the Navy. They're doing their best, but our enemy is too ruthless..."

Lynn fell silent. Indeed, the opponent Germany had chosen was excessively "ruthless." Even with an outstanding and brave army, ultimate defeat was inevitable.

Taking back his military ID, Lynn walked out of the guard post with his head down.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Little Karla, crouching by the woman's feet, was as joyful as a little dog seeing its owner return.

Lynn hurried a few steps and bent down, arms outstretched. "Come here, Daddy's here to pick you up!"

Little Karla happily threw herself into Lynn's arms, pressing her cheek against his stubbly face that had begun to show again, giggling happily.

Although Lynn wore a smile on his face, he felt conflicted as the moment of parting drew near.

The private behind Lynn, Karl, quickly completed his registration. It seemed that the main force of his unit was still on the outer defensive lines, indicating that he wouldn't be able to board early. Although he appeared indifferent, a hint of disappointment could still be seen in his eyes.

"They want me to go to the field hospital there to check my injuries, use some antiseptic solution, and then I might have to return to the front line! Our unit is still holding the most critical positions!"

Glancing in the direction Karl was looking, Lynn estimated that the forests and villages behind the defense line had been fully utilized, with headquarters, artillery positions, ammunition depots, and a prominently marked field hospital. Although such a defense line couldn't compare to the elaborate fortifications built by the Maginot Line, it seemed relatively comprehensive. However, Lynn was deeply impressed by the fierce Soviet offensive and knew that the moment of breakthrough was not far off. Holding the line was impossible; he had to find a way to get the little family of Karla aboard a ship as soon as possible.

On this matter, Lynn's mindset was "must" rather than "try." It wasn't just because of the night he spent with the woman, the dictionary and books provided by Karl, the little Karla's cries of "Daddy," or the effective relief of his depressive mood during their short time together. Everything combined made it clear to him without the need for deliberation.

"Thank you for taking care of us all the way, Karl! And one more thing..." Lynn pulled the private aside and whispered, "Do you have any other way to get them on board as soon as possible?"

Hearing this, Karl wasn't surprised. He lowered his head, biting his lip, and looked around cautiously before whispering, "A few days ago, I heard from a friend that during the day, boarding procedures are strictly managed, but at night, because they're afraid of attracting enemy bombers with lights, the whole port is almost in darkness. Either bribe the Navy soldiers in charge of boarding or sneak on board when no one is paying attention."

Obviously knowing Lynn's German was poor, Karl gestured with his fingers on Lynn's palm as he spoke. Finally, he cautioned, "The Navy soldiers may not accept bribes, so you might have to try someone else. Sneaking aboard is risky, but given the current situation, the Navy soldiers probably won't shoot. At most, they'll be thrown into the sea to swim back to shore!"

Understanding Karl's meaning through half-heard words, Lynn nodded repeatedly, feeling a mix of anxiety and guilt. This was even more challenging than facing enemy gunfire.

"In any case, Lynn, good luck to you!" Karl shook Lynn's hand solemnly and then turned to bid a brief farewell to the bearded man and his family.

Although it was a farewell, no one showed too much sadness. The bearded man specifically stepped forward to shake hands with Karl, and the woman bowed her head, instructing little Karla to say "goodbye" to her uncle.

"Goodbye, Karl! Take care!"

After saying this, Lynn turned away decisively. All feasts must come to an end, but... the time spent with this family of three was running out.

After bidding farewell to the scapegoat private, Karl, the group of four continued northward along the road. The bearded man always had the same calm expression, while the woman seemed calm at this moment, but she wasn't ignorant of what was about to happen. The sadness in her delicate brows condensed again, but with a different connotation. Her lowered gaze seemed unwilling to intersect with Lynn's, and her two fair and smooth hands tightly clasped each other. Only little Karla, immersed in the happiness of family and affection, seemed oblivious to the adults' worries, but the more so, the more she would be hurt at the moment of parting. Lynn had thought about whether to use stern reprimands or groundless anger to "cool her down" in advance, but seeing that innocent and slightly naive cute face, he couldn't bear to do it—this was even more difficult than shooting an enemy face to face!

After hesitating for a long time and flipping through the dictionary in advance, Lynn took the opportunity to relieve himself by the roadside and privately said to the bearded man, "Sir, there's something very important I need to discuss with you... To get you, Alice, and Karla aboard as soon as possible, I plan to take a somewhat special route, which requires some money, but what I have with me probably isn't enough..."

"You mean bribing the people arranging the boarding order?" The bearded man said very frankly, and after getting Lynn's nod of agreement, he shook his head. Leaving the bushes by the roadside, he placed his suitcase on the ground and opened it in front of Lynn.

Apart from a few changes of clothes, there were several books and a small leather bag inside—opening it, the bearded man revealed some pieces of bread.

"When I gave you

 the books, did I ever ask you for a penny?"

Hearing this, Lynn suddenly felt very ashamed.

Then, in a tone that was neither angry nor resentful, the bearded man said to the woman, "Alice, do you have anything valuable left in your luggage?"

After hesitating for a moment, the woman whispered, "Just one silver ring!"

Although she didn't say what significance the ring held, since she kept it until the end, it couldn't be something insignificant.

Lynn sighed lightly, and in just this moment, he felt like he had returned to the time when he was caught altering exam scores and faced with a dual attack on human ethics and emotional dignity. For a while, he felt anxious and guilty.

Closing the suitcase again, the bearded man didn't look at Lynn but said casually, "It's okay, we don't eat much. We can go for four or five days without a problem!"

"I also have some biscuits here!" When she said this, the woman looked directly at Lynn, her gaze devoid of reproach, giving Lynn a sense of relief.

If he had met such a family in peacetime, Lynn would probably have offered himself without hesitation.

Standing beside the woman like a little penguin, Karla didn't understand what the adults were worrying about, but she firmly said to Lynn, "It's okay, Daddy! As long as you're with us, even if we don't take a big ship, it's fine to walk like this all the way!"

In an instant, the dam protecting Lynn's inner emotional turmoil collapsed, and he bent down to pick up little Karla, tears streaming down his face. "You're such a silly little fool, little sweetheart, little silly fool, little sweetheart..."