Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 715 - 53 Reunion

Chapter 715: Chapter 53 Reunion

Admiral Eugene had finally had enough and turned his gaze towards the apartment building next to the beech tree.

Compared to the beech tree, the condition of the apartment building was a bit better, but it was also in a state unfit for inhabitation. The broken windows offered no protection against the wind and the rain, and while it might be bearable in summer, anyone living there in winter would probably freeze to death.

Admiral Eugene suddenly felt a bit surprised and looked down to ask Kaja, “How did you get through the winter?”

“The neighbors took turns sheltering me. The Prosens knew Grandpa Panyele had a little devil helping him run errands, so nobody dared let me stay for long,” Kaja replied truthfully.

Admiral Eugene patted Kaja’s head again, “Don’t worry, the Church has come up with the Army Group’s support troops. With my letter, you can eat at the Church cafeteria, and they’ll give you new clothes as well.”

After finishing speaking, Eugene walked towards the stairs of the building.

Kaja: “Are you going home?”

Eugene: “Yes, I want to go home and see. Have the Prosens searched my place?”

“I don’t remember; this building has been abandoned for a long time. I hide inside when it rains. The first floor is quite comfortable on rainy days.”

Eugene nodded slightly and stepped into the stairwell.

The first floor was just as he remembered it, with the mailboxes of the residents lined up next to the stairs going up.

He found the mailbox marked with 201 and opened it, naturally finding nothing inside.

Eugene closed the mailbox and went up the stairs.

The stairwell on the second floor had been blown open by a cannon, and the door to apartment 201 was ajar.

When Eugene pushed the door, a mass of dust fell from it. It was as if he had opened a door to the past, as everything inside remained just as he had left it.

Even the picture frame covered on top of the chest of drawers was still in its place.

“I can’t believe it wasn’t looted,” Eugene mumbled in surprise.

Following him inside, Kaja replied, “The thieves were all conscripted by the Prosens. They’re busy looting the rich and wouldn’t come to a place like this.”

Eugene: “Where have all these ‘pseudo-army’ soldiers gone now?”

“They ran off with the Prosens.”

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After Kaja finished, a guard added, “The judges seem to be capturing these traitors against the motherland with the help of locals. Tonight they will publicly hang the first batch of traitors.”

Eugene nodded, “Good, they must be dealt with severely, not sparing any traitors. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to those guerrilla fighters who continued fighting in the Occupied Area.”

After speaking, he went to the chest of drawers, turned over the upside-down picture frame, and looked at the slightly yellowed picture inside.

Kaja climbed up a chair in the room and stood holding onto the backrest to clearly see the person in the photo and asked, “Is this your wife?”

“Yes, my late wife.”

“Why didn’t you take the photo with you?” the little girl asked again.

Admiral Eugene replied, “Because I never thought I would survive.”

Having said that, he picked up the picture frame, fixed the stand at the back, and handed it to the guard, “Hold this for me.”

“Yes.”

Admiral Eugene continued walking deeper into the room.

Out of curiosity, Kaja asked, “Don’t you have any children?”

“My wife died from childbirth complications, and the baby didn’t make it either. After that, I spiraled for a long time, drinking, going to play cards at Ivan’s in the next neighborhood. The parish priest of the district tried to get me back on the right path, but all failed.

“Then Anastasia came along; she pushed me back on the right track, encouraged me to work my way up to the position of mine manager.”

As he spoke, Eugene paced around the room.

“This chest of drawers was something I made myself not long after meeting Anastasia. She stayed by my side, passing me water, wiping the sweat.

“When I was measuring the chest of drawers, I used the marking methods from the mines. Anastasia said this chest was obviously crafted by a miner’s hands.

“Later, I made this table and the chair you’re standing on, Kaja!”

Kaja: “Did you have nothing in the room when you married your first wife?”

Eugene: “Of course not, all these are new. I moved the old furniture to the storage room over there. Back then, I thought since I was starting a new life, I would make some more furniture, so I wouldn’t think of her every day.

“It might not be fair to her, but… but I needed to keep moving forward. Do you think I’m pathetic?”

Kaja: “I’m only seven, Uncle Eugene. Is it appropriate to ask me this question?”

Eugene laughed, continuing his train of thought, “Back then, I couldn’t even imagine that one day I would become a general, even an admiral at that, leading a whole Army Group of people.

“I only knew how to mine.”

At that moment, a voice from downstairs called out, “Which unit are you from? Comrade, you can’t go past; the Army Group Commander is upstairs!”

Eugene turned around and took three steps to the living room window, shouting down, “Don’t make exceptions; are the Military Bishop’s words falling on deaf ears?”

“Is that you, Eugene?” came a woman’s voice from below. “Eugene, is that you?”

Eugene’s words came to an abrupt halt as he looked down in disbelief.

At the end of his gaze, a female soldier wearing a boat-shaped cap was looking up.

She was wrapped in a camouflaged cloak used by snipers, carrying a Tokarev semi-automatic rifle, with medals on her uniform’s chest just like the male soldiers. From the medals, she must have participated in last year’s Abawahan campaign and killed at least 20 Prosen invaders.

“Anastasia?” Eugene muttered.

“Eugene!” The female soldier began to run, crossing past the sentinel and rushing into the stairwell.

Admiral Eugene also turned and ran towards the door, just as he pulled it open and charged down the stairs, he came face to face with the female soldier.

Anastasia: “I thought… I thought it was just the same name! After all, the serial numbers didn’t match!”

It was very common for Anteans to share the same name, even when including patronymics.

Eugene: “I… I’ve been trying to find out where you were, but Ante is too big, things are too chaotic, and I couldn’t find any information anywhere.”

Silence suddenly descended.

Because they both had so much to say, they didn’t know which sentence to start with.

Finally, Eugene rushed down the stairs and embraced the girl.

The girl responded to him, wrapping her arms underneath and tightly hugging his broad back.

Eugene: “Every day you were gone, I thought about you.”

“I felt the same.”

At that moment, Chief of Staff Andrei of the Army Group arrived in a jeep. As soon as he parked, he asked, “Where’s the commander?”

The sentinel gestured towards the dilapidated building: “Upstairs.”

Andrei nodded and strode into the stairwell but suddenly stopped, his hand inadvertently blocking the staff officer who was about to proceed.

The staff officer, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Andrei, the Chief of Staff, hushed: “Give the commander some time.”

The staff officer tilted his head to look past Andrei’s shoulder and understandingly nodded.

Eugene let go of the girl and looked at Andrei, the Chief of Staff: “I’m done here, what’s the situation?”

Andrei, the Chief of Staff: “I’ve checked the situation in the cinema; there’s no problem in setting up the Headquarters there. Also, Front Army Headquarters has sent a telegram asking about our progress.”

“Give me the telegram.”

Andrei lowered his blocking hand, signaling to the staff officer, who hurried to take out the telegram from his briefcase and ran up to hand it to Eugene.

Eugene glanced at the telegram and declared, “Send a reply to the Front Army Headquarters. My troops face no obstacles, and aside from the 77th Infantry Division still resisting, other infantry divisions have crumbled.”

Andrei, the Chief of Staff: “Should we add a comment about the quality of enemy infantry divisions after 15 waves? For example, the divisions in the 20th wave, whether it’s the quality of the soldiers or their equipment, are very poor.”

Eugene thought for a moment and said, “We could mention it, just say that we will submit a detailed written report later. It will include the Tribunal’s interrogation results of the prisoners.”

“That works,” said Andrei as he gestured to the staff officer, “We’ll leave first then. After you’re done, head over to the cinema.”

Eugene: “Do the Prosen still have copies of the films they were showing?”

“There are. The angry locals wanted to destroy these film reels, but a priest hidden in the cinema stopped them, claiming they are precious historical materials,” replied Andrei.

“Good. Pack all of it up and hand it over to the Front Army Headquarters. The General might find quite some clever uses for them.”

Andrei saluted, then turned and left with the staff officer.

It was only then that Anastasia spoke: “You really became an admiral, a Front Army Commander.”

Eugene: “Didn’t you know under my command?”

“I’m not part of the 63rd Army Group; our 2nd Sniper Infantry Division is part of the 8th Guards Infantry Army Group, the combat zone is right next to yours.”

“Then you…”

Anastasia: “I ‘got lost’ and came here with my good friend. Isn’t it normal to get separated from your unit in such pursuit? So, I need to get back to my unit, or it wouldn’t be good to be listed as missing in action.”

Eugene: “Do you need me to write a letter explaining the situation?”

Anastasia smiled: “A letter from an Army Group Commander to explain the situation to a mere sergeant? Oh no, dear, I’m leaving now. Let’s have a proper reunion after this campaign is over!”

Eugene: “The 2nd Sniper Infantry Division of the 8th Guards Infantry Army Group, I’ll remember that.”

“You don’t have to remember, because I’ll be looking for you. You’re the Army Group Commander; you’ll be easier to find. So, goodbye then.” Anastasia waved gently and then turned to leave with a light step.

The guard came up to Admiral Eugene, puzzled: “Why not keep her here? With your current status, it should be quite easy to do so.”

Eugene: “Because the motherland Ante has not yet been liberated, isn’t that obvious? The time for personal romance hasn’t come yet. Not yet.”

The girl Kaja said, “I think a day wouldn’t be a problem though.”

Admiral Eugene glanced at the young girl: “If I hadn’t seen you, I might have thought so, ‘What’s the problem with relaxing for a day?’ But not now, Kaja, not now! As long as there is an inch of land not yet liberated, as long as the Empire of Prosen exists, it’s not the time!”