Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 140 Hello, 1940
At dusk, Qin Hao placed the flowers in his hand in front of a tombstone and raised his hand to tidy up the weeds nearby.

"So, this church is yours now?" Stella asked, leaning against the doorway.

"It's entrusted management." Qin Hao patted the dirt off his hands, stood up, and corrected the other person's statement.

"The church belongs to the church, but it entrusted me with its maintenance, and I receive an annual fee for it."

"What about these children?"

“The old priest passed away in the winter, and the new priest has not yet taken office. There is no one to take care of the children in the choir for the time being, and it is not appropriate to send them directly to the orphanage. I am helping out temporarily.”

"I never imagined you had the potential to be such a pushover." The Russian woman said this, but her eyes subtly revealed a hint of admiration.

"You know, I did volunteer work here for a while, so my mindset has naturally changed a bit." The black-haired Asian man turned around and smiled slightly, his attitude appearing quite carefree, showing no sign of annoyance at having to take care of a few "burdens."

Stella nodded thoughtfully, then seemed to suddenly remember something: "Taking care of these children must be expensive, right? Do you have any money left? You're not trying to give me credit, are you?"

That being said, the Russian girl had already made up her mind that as long as the other party asked, her small "delayed payment" wouldn't be a big deal.

Of course, it's perfectly normal to go to the movies and have dinner as interest, isn't it?

Thinking about this, Stella even felt that it would be better if the other party were a little more strapped for cash. If he owed the money for a year or two, she could be more assertive in their future interactions.

The next moment, she was disappointed.

A thick wad of US dollars was placed in her hand.

"Same as always, cash settlement, would you like to count?" The Eastern man's smile was exactly the same as before, but now it looked a little annoying to Stella.

The woman felt the thickness of the banknotes, then put them away with some boredom and handed over a shopping bag.

"Speaking of which, your business has been doing well these past two years, with profits so much better than before? And what good luck did you two have, Donikov, that drunkard?" Stella retorted somewhat unhappily.

"I was really lucky. I happened to get a few pretty good items. You know, that's how it is in our line of work sometimes. When luck comes, you can't stop it."

snort!
The woman snorted and turned to walk into the church.

Stella, where are you going?

"Find a room! You hurry up and try out all the items. I'll be staying here for three days, and after that, no returns or exchanges!"

Although Qin Hao wanted to say that he would be able to test the product tonight, for some reason, the woman, who had suddenly become angry, had already walked into the room.

He reached into his bag and took something out; a Rubik's Cube-sized object appeared in his palm.

Stella maintained her practical and understated style, leaving her distinctive mark only in the most discreet places.

The notes left by this magician record about twenty kinds of magic tools he developed himself, including lock picking, smoke, small explosions, and quick disguise.

Stella, on the other hand, used her talent to restore these tools and integrate them into a small cube.

Out of a commemoration of a childhood memory, Qin Hao gave it a rather chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur) name.

Horadric Cube

It must be said that Stella's craftsmanship is truly top-notch. These extremely small tools are crafted with exquisite detail, and in some aspects, the gifted Russian girl has even made improvements based on her own understanding.

There were even some unexpected little things.

A thin, creamy substance was squeezed out from a small hole in the square, and it felt cool to the touch.

"Hmm~ I think I mentioned before that this is a simple disguise cream. How do I use it?"

Qin Hao tried applying the substance to his face, and when he looked in the mirror, he was almost startled. His right cheek was darker, and a scar that looked like it was caused by a burn ran down his face, which looked rather terrifying at first glance.

"Oh no! We've gone too far; this will scare the child."

Qin Hao turned around and went to the bathroom to clean himself, but he couldn't get the thing off for a while because he didn't know what it was made of.

Just as he was hesitating whether to ask Stella, a voice that hadn't been heard for two years suddenly rang in his ears.

The diary on the bedside table fluttered like wings, and long-unseen words reappeared. [Did you have a good holiday? Time to get up.]

The passage of time changes many people, and even courageous hearts can become clouded.

The blood shed will be forgotten; humility and cowardice form a thicket of thorns.

The holy sword cuts through the thorns, protecting the flame of hope; it is your own personal Wizarding World.

The full moon hangs high in the sky, and the thick fog rises again…
-
Paris, May 1940.

The streets, which were bustling last week, are now in complete chaos. The fact that the Germans broke through the Ardennes defenses can no longer be kept secret, and large numbers of citizens are preparing to flee the city.

People hopped onto a fully loaded truck. The wealthy, clutching their belongings, crowded together, waving banknotes, vying for the last few horse-drawn carriages in Place de la Concorde.

Amid the chaotic crowd, a Citroën sedan moved against the flow of people towards the city. Inside, a tall, thin man in military uniform stared expressionlessly at the scenery outside the window.

Rumors had spread within the government that he would be promoted and have the opportunity to participate directly in cabinet work. But at this point, such a chance to rise to the top sounded incredibly ironic.

What meaning will these positions have once the Germans invade?

The car stopped in front of a mansion, and the man jumped out, slowing his pace just before reaching the gate.

No matter how stressed he was, he never brought his frustration to his family.

“Darling, you’re back.” His wife Yvonne came up to him, and the two embraced gently.

"Are the children asleep?" the man asked in a gentle tone.

"No, they're very well-behaved. They were just a little worried about you and kept waiting for you to come back." The wife hesitated for a moment before trying to ask, "Honey, what about those rumors outside…?"

The man hadn't lied to his wife. He nodded gently. "Yes, the situation isn't good. You might need to take the children and go to the countryside to hide. I'll help you contact a monastery; there are..."

Deng Deng Deng~~
The sound of someone walking barefoot on the floor interrupted the couple's conversation. A little girl, about ten years old, was standing at the bottom of the stairs, carrying a toy rabbit.

"Anna, my little darling, are you still waiting for Daddy to come back?" The man opened his arms in a doting tone.

The little girl didn't speak, but gently nudged her head against her father's chest. For someone with Down syndrome, this was the most expressive emotion she could muster.

The next moment, the man carried his daughter in his arms and walked towards the bedroom.

"Like we agreed, how about we tell a story and then go to sleep?"

The little girl nodded slightly.

At that moment, another 16-year-old girl with long, flowing hair walked in wearing cotton slippers.

"Dad? Can I come along?"

“Of course, Elizabeth, you can choose a comfortable spot.” The man moved aside to make room for his eldest daughter to sit down as well.

On nights like this, the small bedroom is quiet and cozy.

"Alright, my little angels, what story would you like to hear?" The man pulled out a bookshelf beside him and asked his beloved daughters for their opinions.

The youngest daughter, Anna, didn't say anything, but simply reached out and pointed to a storybook published by a small publisher. The cover had a striking black feather on it.

Saints' Lives: The Heroic Legend of Belleville

"Well, although it's an unofficial version and heavily made up, it's still a pretty good bedtime story." The man took out the storybook and slowly began to read, seemingly lost in some kind of memory.

"Wow, that's amazing! There really are such superheroes!" The eldest daughter exclaimed in surprise, her mouth agape, before asking curiously.

"Dad, did you participate in this battle?"

"No, but the place where I fought wasn't too far from here, only about ten kilometers away." The always honest man told his daughter the truth, then added...
"Moreover, not long after the war began, I was knocked unconscious by the Germans' poison gas, and I only heard about some of these things from my colleagues later."

"It's alright. I'm sure you could do even better if you were there." The eldest daughter put her arm around her father's shoulder and pressed her fair cheek against his.
“You never know fear, Charles de Gaulle!”

(End of this chapter)