Chapter 394
War was cruel, especially for civilians caught in the flames of conflict, who never knew whether they would survive to see tomorrow.
The people of East Prussia understood this all too well. Ever since they had been occupied by the Russians, their good days had come to an end.
Ficks was merely an inconspicuous little town, yet it still failed to escape disaster. The well-informed nobles and merchants had already fled, leaving behind nothing but a bunch of paupers.
Even so, they had not escaped the Russians' clutches. Since there was no oil to be squeezed from them, they could at least provide able-bodied men.
The town's only church was now packed with people.
A middle-aged man asked anxiously, "The Russians just sent someone over, demanding that the town provide five hundred laborers. Father, what should we do?"
The church was perhaps the only place that had been spared. For God's sake, the Russians had not looted the town's sole church.
Now that all the town's prominent figures had fled, Father Prague, the oldest and most respected among those remaining, was the only one the people could turn to for help.
As a man of religion, Father Prague could not flee, nor did he need to. Religion held enormous influence in Europe. The Russian army would not touch a church, even if it was a Protestant one.
Father Prague said regretfully, "My child, I know about this as well. I just negotiated with the Russians. They demand twenty thousand Rubles to exempt us from forced labor.
"The Russians have issued a warning: if we cannot gather enough men within a week, they will start killing people."
Father Prague had never considered raising the money. If those nobles and merchants had not left, they might have been able to