Burning Eastern Europe III

"You should fear war." The burly, curly-haired man in front of Janik turned his head. "The Russians are no weaklings."

"So what?" The blond youth puffed out his chest. "I am a glorious Crusader warrior. Beneath God's radiance, I will wipe out every heretic and invader!"

The burly man shook his head disdainfully.

"God won't stop a cannonball for you..."

Drasowicz immediately cut him off loudly.

"Krzysztof, you'll hurt morale talking like that!"

Then he turned to Janik and lowered his voice.

"He's from Livonia, you know... His whole family died."

Livonia had originally been a province in northeastern Poland, occupied by Russia during the "First Melon War." Afterward, the Catholics there suffered repeated persecution. Krzysztof's family had been executed for "supporting the anti-Russian Resistance Army." He had been young at the time, and that was the only reason he had escaped disaster.

Drasowicz pointed to a farmhouse beside them, with rubble and splintered wood piled before its door—proof that no soldiers were staying there.

"Let's go there."

There was no shortage of empty houses here. As long as they did not stray too far from the eastern breastwork, they could choose any place as their "temporary barracks."

After Drasowicz cleared away the rubbish outside and pushed open the door, a foul stench hit them. Then he saw a filthy child of about ten huddled in the corner, staring at him timidly.

Janik followed him inside, glanced at the child, and frowned.

"Why are you still in the village? The Russians are coming."

Hearing Polish, the child immediately said cautiously, "S-Sir, do you have anything to eat?"

Judging from the voice, it was actually a girl.

Krzysztof squeezed in, took a piece of black bread from his pack, and handed it to her.

"Eat."

The child snatched the bread, took