Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei's War Journey

Chapter 105 Heading to Military Academy

Lu Mingfei had a very long dream. In the dream, he was like an outsider watching a child named Sakurai Akira live a carefree life in Japan under the head of the Sakurai family.

However, after the age of six, he was deemed by his family to have unstable bloodlines and was imprisoned in a special prison called the Care School.

Thus, a carefree child was deprived of his childhood, youth, and the foreseeable middle and old age.

Even caged birds yearn for the sky.

So the caged bird broke free and soared high in the sky, but ended up in the wrong place, landing on a battlefield where it was shot down by stray bullets flying everywhere.

When the dream ended, Lu Mingfei opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling, surrounded by the smell of disinfectant.

"You're awake—" a hoarse but familiar voice sounded from beside me.

Lu Mingfei turned his head and saw Caesar sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at him with a haggard face.

"Caesar—" Lu Mingfei spoke with some difficulty, his voice sounding very hoarse, and his throat felt like it was on fire.

He tried to move his body, but a tearing pain shot through his abdomen, causing him to groan and break out in a cold sweat.

"Don't move! Your injuries are severe, a penetrating wound to the abdomen, a ruptured intestine, and excessive blood loss—it's a miracle you're still alive." Caesar immediately pressed down on his shoulder, his tone filled with disbelief and relief.

When they came down from the mountaintop and found Lu Mingfei, they discovered that he had a large hole in his abdomen and was lying in a pool of blood. They rushed him to the field hospital.

The doctors initially felt there was no need to treat Lu Mingfei's injuries, given how severe they were. It was only after Caesar and his men pointed guns at the doctors' heads that they were forced to treat Lu Mingfei's wounds.

The only saving grace was that Lu Mingfei's abdominal bleeding stopped on its own; otherwise, given the level of medical care he received during the war, Lu Mingfei would have been dead. However, he lay there for three days and three nights before regaining consciousness.

Lu Mingfei took a few breaths to get used to the pain, and his gaze swept across the room. It was a simple but fairly clean ward.

The sky outside the window was dark, I couldn't tell if it was evening or dawn, and there were still faint, sporadic sounds of artillery fire in the distance, but they were much sparser than the deafening roar I remembered.

"Where is this?" he asked with difficulty.

"The field hospital is about thirty kilometers from Verdun," Caesar replied, then handed over a glass of water that was still slightly warm.

"Have a little, slowly."

Lu Mingfei took a small sip of water, which eased his burning throat. He took a breath and asked the question that concerned him most: "Dead Man Mountain—the summit—"

"I have already planted the flag on the summit of Dead Man's Mountain, but—for the past two days, the French army has been shelling the summit, hindering our construction of fortifications—" Caesar said after a moment of silence.

Hearing this, Lu Mingfei's heart sank. He didn't know if this counted as fulfilling his promise to Crown Prince William. If not, then what had all their previous efforts amounted to?

"Otto, Karl—where are the others—?" Lu Mingfei asked anxiously, fearing that his men were still on Dead Man Mountain and without his and Caesar's protection, there might be significant casualties.

"Don't worry, Henrik pulled some strings for us and got them moved to the back, and now they're in charge of security at this hospital," Caesar reassured him.

Lu Mingfei finally breathed a sigh of relief; Henrik was indeed very useful at times.

"I'll go tell them you're awake," Caesar said, getting up and walking out of the ward.

However, just as Caesar was about to push open the door and leave, Lu Mingfei stopped him again: "Caesar, do you know anything about an organization in Japan called the Snake-Headed Eight Families?"

"Japan? The Eight Hermitages of the Snake Clan? I know very little about Japan, but there is an Executive Bureau branch there. What's wrong? Why are you suddenly interested in Japanese organizations? If we get back alive, I can arrange for someone to investigate." Caesar said with some doubt.

"It's nothing—" Lu Mingfei shook his head and didn't say anything more.

Caesar glanced at him, keenly noticing that Lu Mingfei was somewhat downcast, but he didn't ask any further questions. War changes everyone, and those who survive carry too many unspeakable burdens in their hearts. He simply nodded, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Soon, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, and the ward door was suddenly pushed open. Otto's burly figure almost filled the doorway, and his eyes instantly reddened when he saw Lu Mingfei on the hospital bed.

"Platoon leader! You're finally awake!" Otto, unable to contain his excitement, strode to the bedside, wanting to reach out and pat Lu Mingfei, but then hesitated, afraid of touching his wound. His hand froze in mid-air, and finally he just clenched it into a fist.

Carl followed closely behind. He stood behind Otto, looked at Lu Mingfei, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded heavily and smiled.

Several other familiar faces also appeared at the door. They were the last remaining veterans of the third platoon. They were all more or less injured, but their eyes were filled with excitement as they looked at Lu Mingfei.

Only when Lu Mingfei truly collapsed did they fully realize how important he was to them. During the days Lu Mingfei was away, it felt like a piece was missing from their hearts, and everyone was like a headless fly. Now that Lu Mingfei has woken up, that gap in their hearts has been filled, and they have a leader again.

Major Henrik also rushed over upon hearing the news. He looked even more haggard than a few days ago, but his brows were less grave. He stood at the back of the crowd and nodded to Lu Mingfei as a greeting.

But the most surprising figure was Crown Prince William.

"Your Highness—" Lu Mingfei struggled to sit up and bow, but Crown Prince William quickly stepped forward and gently pressed his shoulder down.

"Lieutenant Hans, there's no need for you to get up." Crown Prince William's voice was much gentler than when they last met, his eyes filled with obvious concern and a hint of complexity.

He was wearing a well-tailored general's uniform, but his boots were covered in fresh mud, indicating that he had rushed from the front lines.

"How are your injuries? What did the medic say?"

"Your Highness, he's still alive," Lu Mingfei reported.

This simple answer surprised Crown Prince William for a moment, and then he chuckled softly. His laughter lacked his usual reserve and aloofness, and instead revealed a more genuine emotion.

"Good thing you're still alive, Lieutenant Hans. You and your men always manage to surprise me—"

His gaze swept over Lu Mingfei's bandaged abdomen, which was still faintly bleeding, and he continued, "The Prussian flag has been raised on the summit of Dead Man's Mountain for three days now. Although the French artillery fire is still harassing us, you have done what you promised."

Crown Prince William then received a dark blue velvet box from his adjutant, almost identical to the one he had received when the Blue Max Medal was awarded last time.

However, besides the other blue Max, there was also a small golden oak leaf inside.

"A person can only be granted the Blue Max once, so I brought an Oak Leaf ornament as well. I'm giving you a choice: the Blue Max or the Oak Leaf ornament. Normally, your achievements wouldn't qualify you for the Oak Leaf ornament, but this special gift is a sign of my favor. You should think carefully about which one you choose," said Crown Prince William.

Almost everyone in the ward stared wide-eyed at the oak leaf decoration. Each person could only receive one medal like the Blue Max, and if they achieved even greater merit, they would have an oak leaf decoration added to their medal.

Oak leaf ornaments like these are extremely rare, and they cannot be obtained through personal bravery alone. They are usually acquired by commanding a battle where the outnumbered can win. The fact that Crown Prince William is now presenting oak leaf ornaments shows that he is indeed showing great favor to Lu Mingfei.

But Lu Mingfei didn't look at the oak leaf ornament, and said firmly, "I wish to award Blue Max to Sergeant Caesar."

As soon as he said that, the ward fell silent, with only the faint sound of distant artillery fire remaining. Everyone was stunned, staring at Lu Mingfei as if trying to confirm whether they had misheard.

Crown Prince William's smile froze on his face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the pale-faced but unusually determined young officer before him.

"Lieutenant Hans, I'm asking you one last time, are you sure?"

"Kaiser Hoffman, he is the best scout I have ever met, the most reliable comrade-in-arms. What he has done for the Empire is more than enough to earn him a Blue Max Medal, and you were the one who planted the flag on Dead Man's Mountain," Lu Mingfei continued.

Caesar stood frozen in place. He turned to look at Lu Mingfei, wanting him to choose the oak leaf ornament, but Lu Mingfei glared at him fiercely.

Major Henrik stood to the side, his brows furrowed deeply. He glanced at the Crown Prince, then at Lu Mingfei, his lips moved, but he remained silent. He knew what Lu Mingfei's decision meant. It was not only about giving up honor, but also about challenging the favor bestowed upon him by the Crown Prince, which might even anger him.

However, Crown Prince William unexpectedly laughed: "I knew you would make this choice. Just like I said before, you are not yet qualified to receive the oak leaf decoration."

"In the name of His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire, Sergeant Cesare Hoffmann is hereby awarded the Order of Merit! He is promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant!"

After speaking, Crown Prince William took the medal and came to Caesar, placing the Blue Max medal around Caesar's neck.

Crown Prince Wilhelm then said to Major Henrik, "Major Henrik, your leave and training in Berlin will proceed as planned. Also, in my name, submit a letter of recommendation to the Army Aviation Command, recommending Lieutenant Kaiser Hoffmann for transfer to the flight training unit. The reason is—"

He glanced at the Blue Max medal on Caesar's chest and continued, "Say that a recipient of the Blue Max medal longs to continue serving the Empire in the skies."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Henrik immediately stood at attention and replied.

Crown Prince William then turned to look at Lu Mingfei: "You will be granted a three-month leave. During these three months, the other soldiers will take leave, and you and Lieutenant Caesar Hoffman will undergo officer and pilot training. After the training, you will become a lieutenant and officially lead a complete company. I hope that one day I will personally place this oak leaf ornament on your Blue Max."

After Crown Prince William finished speaking, he didn't linger. He glanced around at the other soldiers in the ward, nodded to them, and then turned and left with his adjutants.

The door closed gently, and the ward was quiet for a moment before being overwhelmed by an even stronger surge of excitement and clamor.

"Lieutenant!" Otto was the first to shout, his large, fan-like hand slamming heavily on Caesar's shoulder, making him stumble.

"Blue Max! Pilot! Lieutenant Caesar, don't forget about us!"

Karl leaned closer, wanting to touch the dark blue medal but not daring to, just grinning foolishly: "Lieutenant Caesar—from now on, should I call you 'Air Knight'?"

Other veterans gathered around, offering their congratulations in a flurry of voices, their eyes filled with pride and envy. Another living Blue Max was born before their very eyes, pinned on the chest of their familiar comrade-in-arms. This was more inspiring than any distant story; perhaps one day they too could wear such a medal.

Caesar stood still, raised his head, looked over the noisy crowd, and looked at Lu Mingfei on the hospital bed. Lu Mingfei was also looking at him, with a faint smile on his lips.

Lu Mingfei didn't speak, but Caesar understood the meaning in his eyes.

Go ahead.

Go fly.

You deserve it.

It was also something we agreed upon.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and after Lu Mingfei regained his mobility, they boarded a train to Prussia.

Lu Mingfei watched as his soldiers disembarked from the train one by one. The train's final destination was Berlin, and his soldiers, mostly country boys or small-town youths, got off midway.

However, every soldier who disembarked proudly stood tall, each wearing a Second-Class Iron Cross and a First-Class Iron Cross. Although they didn't have Blue Max like Lu Mingfei and Caesar, such honors still made them the center of attention of the passengers outside the train.

The train continued on its way, leaving only him and Caesar on board. Almost all the passengers in the carriage would occasionally glance at the two of them, after all, they were the two recipients of the Blue Max, and both were so young.

"We'll be in Berlin in an hour," Caesar said, closing the newspaper in his hand and looking up at Lu Mingfei.

"Your training school is in the south of the city, while the flight training base is in the suburbs. If you have any free time during your studies, don't forget to come out and get together with me."

"Hmm." Lu Mingfei responded, his gaze still fixed on the view outside the window: Berlin, a name he had only heard of in geography class.

He was going there to learn how to become a qualified Prussian officer, while Caesar was going to learn how to ride iron birds and conquer the skies.