Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 80 Farewell
As the sun rose, St. Petersburg returned to order from the chaos.

The bodies lying on the roadside had been dragged away, and people were using wooden buckets to wash away the bloodstains on the road. The buildings that had been set on fire were also extinguished with water.

Curfew notices were posted, and squads of military police began checking passersby.

Police officers carrying revolvers and whips would take to the streets, and if they encountered what they considered "dangerous individuals," they would lash out with their whips.

What was most chilling was that in the small square, temporary wooden scaffolds were erected, and someone was using a loudspeaker to announce that German spies had been involved in instigating last night's riots, and that traitors and heinous criminals would be hanged later.

The government found a way to save face, and everything was pushed onto German spies.

With the threat of pistols, batons, and gallows, both the previously agitated citizens and the looters who took advantage of the chaos were suppressed.

However, all of this is only temporary. As long as the root cause of the unrest remains, the next outbreak will only be more violent.

At 64 Gorochovaya Street, danger seemed to have stayed away from the sheltered citizens.

In the not-so-spacious courtyard, hundreds of people were staying in a makeshift shed. Some were helping their companions re-bandage head wounds, while others were stirring the wheat porridge in the pot with long spoons.

People around were using tools to clear the snow from the ground, while apprentices and workers in the workshop were holding weapons and observing the surroundings.

On the second floor of the house, a woman opened a window and used a basket to lower something down.

The faint sound of a baby crying could be heard coming from the window.

"Look! Her eyes are so beautiful, she'll definitely grow up to be a great beauty."

"But why doesn't she have teeth? Isn't that very inconvenient?"

"Idiot! Newborns are all like this; she can only drink milk right now!"

"Don't hit me on the head! And I'm not stupid!"

Several young maids were playing with the newborn baby in front of the wooden bed, chirping like a flock of sparrows in winter.

The door creaked as it turned, and the girls inside immediately shut their mouths.

The housekeeper, wearing flat shoes, pushed open the door and entered.

“I don’t recall having this many people looking after the baby,” the housekeeper said, crossing her arms and scanning the room.

The maids immediately became like quails seeing a large bird of prey, obediently standing up and leaving one by one.

After everyone in the room left, the housekeeper slowly approached the crib. She first looked around to make sure no one else was there, then reached out as if to pick up the baby.

The baby girl seemed to sense a familiar presence, and her tiny hands and feet began to move, which made the already somewhat timid housekeeper suddenly feel helpless.

"Protect her head with your hands and hug her," a voice instructed from the doorway.

The housekeeper turned around and saw that the priest in black robes had been standing at the door at some point, watching the scene before him with great interest.

"Give it a try," the other person said encouragingly, touching the cross on their chest.

With the other party's guidance, she successfully held the baby in her arms. Looking at the still somewhat wrinkled face, the housekeeper's originally stern expression gradually softened.

She tried to touch the baby girl's soft face with her hand, and felt light and shadow moving around. The baby's lips made smacking sounds.

“His parents are from Kyiv; the man is a worker and the woman is a teacher. I have hired them temporarily and will provide them with a room to house their daughter,” the priest in black robes said.

"Why are you telling me this?" For some reason, the housekeeper visibly relaxed upon hearing this news.

“Aren’t you the housekeeper of this house? Of course I’ll tell you, and…” The priest in the black robe glanced out the window; a black bird flew by.

"I may need to leave for a while."
-
Crows flew high over the streets of St. Petersburg, and from their perspective, the streets were a mess after a night of chaos.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves came from another direction.

A troop of Cossack cavalry escorted an undecorated carriage through the street. The riders had stern, cold faces, and as their horses galloped, their unsheathed sabers rhythmically lashed against the saddles, creating a sense of psychological pressure on onlookers.

The citizens who witnessed all kept their distance. After crossing a street, the leading lieutenant made a gesture, and all the cavalrymen began to dismount and walk.

Leading the horse forward, the lieutenant recalled the expression on his superior's face when he gave the order:
"Take this priest to the Winter Palace. Make sure he is safe on the way, do not do anything to displease him, and at the same time, meet all his requests!"

"But sir, a whole night has passed. Perhaps some things have already happened by the time I got there," the lieutenant argued helplessly.

"Then you'd better hope you have good luck. If that priest gets into trouble, the governor won't let me off the hook, and I'll throw you in before I do!" The captain, wearing the rank of colonel, poked his subordinate's shoulder and used a threat without any politeness.

"Protect him! Fulfill any of his requests! Remember, any of them!"

"Captain, we're just cavalry, how can we possibly fulfill every request? Are you suggesting we'd provide a gypsy dancer if they wanted one?!"

"In that case, put on a skirt and offer yourself up!"

Recalling his superior's words, the cavalry captain shuddered. He shook his head, trying to shake off the absurd image in his mind, and then began to give orders.

"Keep your horses quiet and put your weapons away! We're meeting someone His Majesty values ​​highly, so don't talk nonsense!" the leading lieutenant shouted at the soldiers behind him.

"Hopefully, he hasn't lost his mind from the gunshots tonight. Maybe he's hiding under the bed, trembling, waiting for us to rescue him," a subordinate joked somewhat rudely.

"Shut up! If you say another word like that, you'd all go back to picking up horse manure!"

Although the lieutenant said this, he was actually quite worried that what his subordinate was talking about would happen.

If the person involved panics, it could really be a big problem.

"At least I must live." He prayed for his luck and rode his horse around the street corner.

Then he froze.

The cavalrymen saw a scene they had never expected.

A hundred or so people were gathered together, many of them carrying weapons, and a few even had guns. In front of them, eight or nine men with bruised and swollen faces were tied up and thrown on the ground.

Upon seeing the strangers, at least a dozen menacing glances swept over.

An Asian-looking priest, dressed in a black robe, stood in the very center.

When he appeared, the crowd instinctively gathered around him, showing that he had great prestige.

Looking at the chaotic scene, the cavalry captain even had a strange feeling—had he stumbled into a stronghold preparing for an armed riot?

Suppressing the urge to draw his gun, the lieutenant cautiously asked, "Excuse me, is this Father Putin's residence?"

“If there isn’t another Putin on this street, then it’s probably me.” The man in the black robe and with black hair stepped forward and nodded.

Having confirmed the black-robed priest's safety, the commander breathed a sigh of relief. He then stood at attention and saluted. "Father Pugin, our squad consists of 12 men. We are here on orders from His Majesty and the Governor to protect you on your way to the Winter Palace. This is the Governor's order."

A temporary official letter was handed to him, and the priest in the black robe nodded. "Please allow me to prepare. Also, could you do me a small favor?"

"Of course, Father, it is our honor!"

"These thugs are yours. They were involved in the robbery last night, and all the concerned citizens here can testify to that."

"No problem, Father, the military police will come and take them away shortly." The cavalry captain looked at the pitiful state of the unfortunate men in front of him without any sympathy.

"Also, some residents here need resettlement. Could you send some people over?"

“This…” The cavalry captain hesitated for a moment, somewhat embarrassed. “Father, strictly speaking, this is not within my scope of duty, but His Excellency the Governor has ordered me to try my best to meet your request. I will leave half of my men here to help.”

The priest nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then only the final request remains."

The cavalry captain stood at attention nervously, afraid that the person in front of him might actually make some bizarre request.

"Then, could you help me find some milk? I've searched everywhere around here but haven't found any." The priest in the black robe held up an empty glass bottle and said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)