Arc of Fire

While living at the Rokossovsky estate, Wang Zhong had always stayed with his fiancée Ludmila, who ostensibly looked after their daily needs.

Because Wang Zhong hadn’t told Ludmila that he was leaving on the 23rd, he hadn’t had time to find an orderly.

It should be this way.

The maid looked at Wang Zhong, “I am Miss Ludmila Vasilyevna’s playmate and her personal maid at home. As soon as Miss went to Argesukov, she sent a telegram home, and I came over.

“You didn’t know?”

Wang Zhong, “Ah…so it was actually you who was taking care of my daily life?”

“No, Miss did a lot too, her ability to take care of herself has improved since joining the army.” The maid showed a relieved expression but it disappeared quickly, “But your ability to take care of yourself hasn’t improved at all—well, maybe a little, at least you can dress yourself now.”

Was the old me really that useless?

Feeling embarrassed, Wang Zhong turned to the staff officer, “Um, it’s not really appropriate to bring a female orderly, is it?”

The maid sighed, “I usually won’t sleep in the same room as you. If you have something going on with the landlady, I can keep watch for you. I used to sleep in the servant’s room next to your master bedroom at the estate; it’s no different now.”

Wang Zhong, “You actually slept in the servant’s room next door? Are you an assassin?”

Wang Zhong intended to say “ninja,” but such an Eastern element probably wouldn’t be understood by the people of the Ante Empire at this time.

But it’s doubtful the Ante People would have heard of something like the assassins from the Middle East, either.

Just as Wang Zhong thought this, the maid displayed her intact ten fingers, “I haven’t sawed off any fingers to fit a sleeve sword.”

Wow, you know about that!

Facing Wang Zhong’s shocked expression, the maid said, “My mother was reading the storybook about the old man in the mountains and his heroes to you and Miss; I was beside them, but listening through the door.”

So, it was like that!

Scratching his head, Wang Zhong asked, “How should I address you?”

“You can call me Nelly. So, may I come in?”

“Ah, yes.”

Grigori, “I’ll stay in the gatehouse. I’m going to look after the horses now. If you need me, go to the stables.”

Wang Zhong nodded, “Okay, got it.”

As Bucephalus was led away by Grigori, he kept looking at Nelly, snorting from his nostrils.

Wang Zhong, “Nelly, how did you get here?”

“I came with the advance team. After they arrived here, they arranged tonight’s accommodation. I inquired about where your house was and came over to clean.” ṞÄΝ∅ᛒƐś

“Oh,” Wang Zhong asked another question, “You just mentioned the landlady, is she pretty?”

I’m not interested in the landlady, just curious!

Nelly looked at Wang Zhong with raised eyebrows, “She’s nowhere near as good as Liu Da.”

Wang Zhong, “Of course, no one can compare to Liu Da!”

As they were speaking, they entered the house, and the landlady came up all at once, “General sir!”

It seemed she was ready to take Wang Zhong’s Imperial Guard cloak.

But Nelly was quicker, taking it and hanging it on a nearby coat hook.

Landlady, “Err…ah, give me the hat…”

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhong quickly removed his military cap, but before he could reach out, Nelly snatched it away and hung it on the coat hook.

…Did you just vehemently claim that if there was anything developing between me and the landlady, you would stand guard to prevent interruptions?

But, never mind, the landlady can’t compare to Ludmila, nor even to Nelly.

Deciding to ignore the landlady’s attempt to get close, Wang Zhong said to Nelly, “Prepare dinner for me, no pickles.”

Nelly, “Any other requests?”

“…No, just no pickles.”

It’s not that pickles are bad, just tired of them.

The landlady smiled, “I will make a Susie thick soup for the general sir—”

Nelly: “The general usually only eats the meals I prepare to prevent poisoning. If you’re going to cook for the general, please go out, turn right, and walk to the end where there is a temporary courtroom for the Judge, and let them examine your qualifications.”

Wang Zhong was shocked, when had he ever had such security measures.

And… I’ve never eaten the dishes you made, Nelly!

But Nelly spoke as if it were some established fact.

When the landlady heard the word ‘Judge,’ her whole person visibly wilted.

“Then forget it,” she said, “My father was with the Sanctified faction during the civil war, so…”

At this moment, someone knocked on the door.

The landlady shuddered with fright.

Without thinking much, Wang Zhong turned to open the door.

Nelly originally wanted to rush ahead, but Wang Zhong was quite large and blocked the passage; she would need some skill to squeeze by.

Outside the door stood the local parish Priest and a civil official from the village, who both paused at the sight of Wang Zhong’s “two beans.”

Wang Zhong: “What is it?”

“Uh, we’re looking for the lady of this house, she…”

Wang Zhong directly took the envelope from the civil official’s hand, looked at the postmark and the sending unit: indeed, it was a death notification.

“I’ll take care of it.”

Wang Zhong turned around, and before he could speak, the landlady leaned against the wall, slowly slid down to the floor, and burst into tears: “Is it my husband?”

Wang Zhong nodded, “If there’s only one from your family who joined the army, then it should be.”

“Open it for me… I’m not sure I can see the words clearly now.”

Wang Zhong silently opened the envelope, pulled out the notification, and read, “Dear Tamara Lukyanova Tolup, we regret to inform you that your husband Stepan Aleksandro Tolup has recently been confirmed killed at Ronied…”

Wang Zhong couldn’t help frowning; he too had escaped from Ronied, and to think that was just a month ago. The fact that the death notification had already reached the family indicated that at least the army’s administrative office had recovered from the initial chaos quite a bit.

Tamara Lukyanova began to cry.

Nelly, who had just been at loggerheads with her, squatted down, put her arm around her shoulders, which only made her cry louder.

Wang Zhong was at a loss for words.

He again thought of Aunt Alexeyevna, the landlady, and the old woman could be considered opposites.

The only similarity was the sorrow.

————

The next day, as Wang Zhong was getting dressed and starting to shave, Nelly came in and said, “I can’t find the landlady anywhere!”

Wang Zhong: “What, after being full of hostility yesterday, are you worried about her now?”

“I’m worried she might despair and do something foolish.”

Wang Zhong: “We’re about to leave; you’re supposed to go with the cart, right?”

“But…”

Wang Zhong: “It’s alright, she is an Ante woman, after all. One day, she’ll be able to go into the mountains and wrestle bears. She’s not so easily defeated.”

Nelly frowned, “Why do you talk as if you’ve slept with her?”

“No, not slept!” Wang Zhong quickly emphasized, which was the truth, “I just believe in our country’s girls.”

Nelly frowned, looking worried.

But she didn’t have to worry for long because when the troops were departing, both Wang Zhong and Nelly saw that Tamara Lukyanova Tolup had shaved off her hair and was standing in line with the women registering for the army.

The recruiting lieutenant shouted, “You must understand! From now on, you will spend a year learning how to conceal yourselves on the battlefield, how to snipe the enemy precisely and efficiently! You will become silent assassins on the battlefield! You will strike terror into the hearts of the Prussians!”

“You are women, and you may be at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy! But look, this Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 model sniper rifle will allow you at a distance of 300 meters to effortlessly kill the strong and fierce Prosen soldiers!”

“You are as lethal as any male soldier!”

Wang Zhong rode on Bucephalus, and Nelly sat in the cart meant for support staff, both watching Tamara Lukyanova, seemingly able to see through her icy gaze the pitiable deaths of her enemies.

And such deaths, Wang Zhong would soon witness.

Plentiful, an endless stream of them.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!