Chapter 5

After three rounds of wine, the more they drank, the more they felt, and began to talk about old things in their hometown. Locke saw that uncle Joshua missed his two sons, and his words were full of teaching Locke about his behavior and attitude. Locke was also very moved by Uncle yoshake's friendship. He often regarded himself as a younger generation and toasted uncle yoshake. Locke was also impressed by Uncle Joshua's two sons. When he joined the army, his eldest son inherited uncle yoshak's blacksmith's shop, and his youngest son was still a busboy in the blacksmith's shop. But it was this guy who created Locke's first weapon, a short dagger.

This short dagger has no wooden handle, only the end of the dagger is wrapped with a rough linen as the handle. The short dagger is small and thin and has been hidden in his boots. This short dagger also has a story.

When he came to join the army secretly at the age of 14, he only brought this short dagger. At that time, a half boy with a slap dagger came to join the army, which became a laughing point and conversation after dinner in the training camp in mining town. Originally, he could not join the army without being introduced by his relatives, but Locke became familiar with his face in the mining town when he was a child. Yoshake, who was the captain of the second team of the town military camp, recognized Locke. The former blacksmith had seen Locke. In fact, there were more than 1000 people in this town and its affiliated villages. There were not many people. Everyone looked down and looked up. Apart from half of the women and the remaining half of the old and weak, there are only two or three hundred young adults who can join the army. We all know who can join the army and who will join the army.

Moreover, Locke's dagger was made by his son, little Joshua, and he recognized it at a glance. When Locke secretly came to join the army, his parents didn't know. All they knew was his sister. On that hot night, Locke secretly got up, took his linen clothes and left their thatched house in straw sandals. Maybe his sister knew his brother, or maybe the careless Locke woke up his sister. When Locke just left not far away, At night, his sister Leah chased out and caught up with Locke.

She knew in her heart why her brother wanted to leave secretly. He wanted to make money and do something for the family. He wanted to join the army! In order not to let his family starve to death in the drought and not to be sold to businessmen, his brother decided to go secretly when his parents opposed joining the army. Once he was admitted by the army, he could not leave without authorization! Unless he's a deserter, it's impossible. His family is still here. Therefore, even if they were known by their parents afterwards, they could only accept this reality. Moreover, after his brother joined the army, he could get military pay when he went to the front line. His father was too old and in poor health to respond to the Baron's call to join the army. Only his brother was just in line with his age. For the sake of this family, his brother decided to fight with his life.

Looking at the stubborn brother, Locke's sister Leah couldn't help crying. She cried all over her face, and the tears soaked the thin girl's face. 14-year-old Locke has a momentum and a ruthlessness. He is not afraid of anything and can stand anything, except that he can't see his sister cry. He loves his sister more than himself. Under Locke's helpless comfort and persuasion, Leah gradually stopped crying, but the tears in the corners of her eyes made the malnourished and thin girl more tender. She looked at her brother, turned every corner of her body, and took out more than 20 copper Deloitte. This is all Leah's money. She was stunned and said to Locke, come back alive!

Locke took more than 20 copper coins given by his sister, walked all night and arrived at the mining town in the morning. He used the money he had to go to the blacksmith's shop in mining town to make a handy weapon. However, the blacksmith's owner, the eldest son of Uncle joshak, told him that he could not afford a sword handle. When Locke left the blacksmith's shop disappointed, a child his size rushed out of the blacksmith's shop. He either sympathized or wanted to make some extra money, He said to Locke, "20 copper Deloitte, make you a dagger with the remaining copper ore and iron ore from the hoe. Is it a deal?" Then he pointed to two or three humble stones at the door of the blacksmith's shop.

Locke looked at the pile of yellowish brown and reddish stones smaller than his fist. After some entanglement, he had no choice but to agree. After all, he didn't understand the situation of the military camp. He had to have a handful of guys. Otherwise, why would he join the army? As cannon fodder?

So Locke had his first weapon, a short dagger without scabbard and handle. With this short dagger not much bigger than his palm, Locke joined the army according to the standard of just reaching the age line. The next day, Locke's parents hurried to the town with his sister. Looking at the training of Locke in the military camp, the old Locke and his wife could only sigh with tears and accept this reality. This is also the sadness of poor civilians. Under the natural disaster, the role of manpower is very small, not to mention the family of generations of civilians, They left Locke three big chestnut cakes, which Locke knew were made by his parents with all the food left in the family... For the next six months, they may have to eat bark.

Locke's sister took off the linen wrapped in long hair and gave it to Locke. She still said to him, "come back alive!" In the evening, Locke's sister helped her parents, who had grown old all day, to the road back to maple leaf village. Locke clenched the fragrant linen in his hand and carefully put it away. He was going to wrap it around the short dagger and let it fight with himself with his sister's love for him.

Looking at the back of his parents and sister, Locke vowed to come back alive. Since then, Locke began his two-month camp training life. He worked hard with the captain on the training ground. Age is his disadvantage and advantage. He replied faster than ordinary adults. It was also at that time that he found that little Hans, a neighbor who had been playing with him, joined the army, but he joined the army to eat. After two months of training, they went to the battlefield.

This dagger is a true portrayal of Locke when he first joined the army. It is young but sharp. It is young, vigorous and full of potential. Locke's short dagger witnessed Locke's passing between life and death. After the inferior iron sword issued by the army was broken in the first battle, he killed his first enemy with this short dagger. A 14-year-old or 5-year-old servant of King Charlotte, who was about his age, vomited all day after the war. However, after the war, Locke seized a long gun and a pair of short boots of the same poor quality.

In subsequent battles, Locke's weapons were broken and changed, changed and broken, until they became today's equipment. However, his short dagger was not broken. Maybe he maintained it well, maybe the younger son of yoshake had great skills, and his short dagger grew with him. Now the linen wrapped in the handle of the knife has faded and turned blood red. There are both his blood and the enemy's blood. Locke often takes out his short dagger to look at it. From the roll of rough linen, Locke seems to smell his sister's hair again.

Wheat wine reminded uncle joshak of his son, Locke of the origin of his short dagger, his sister and his parents. They drank one cup after another, and the second bottle immediately came to an end. The wheat wine in green palm tavern tastes average, but it has some stamina. Two bottles of wheat wine can't make them drunk, but it also makes them sentimental.

After drinking the last glass of ale, uncle yoshake suggested to leave. It's really late. It's almost time for dinner. The green palm tavern doesn't provide meals. They have to go back to the camp. Uncle yoshake has to go back to the Chinese military camp to have dinner with the baron. Locke and they will also patrol the camp in the evening. "Uncle, let's go." Locke got up and helped uncle Joshua pick up his civilian clothes.

After walking out of the private room, their mood was still depressed because of homesickness. Josh was worthy of being a veteran. He quickly adjusted his mood and made a small joke with Locke, which enlivened the atmosphere. "You're 18 years old and won't be a virgin. I think the landlady of the bar is good." he said and squeezed a smile at Locke.

"Uncle, stop joking. People can still look up to me? Isn't her husband very capable and can talk to the baron." Locke was also amused by the joke. His sad mood was diluted a lot. He didn't know much about the bar owner, but it's not easy for a person who can know the overall situation early.

"Hey, a speculator, just a clown. Can the Baron look at him?" Uncle yoshake obviously has a deep understanding of the bar owner, and this view should be more than his. Oh, a poor guy. Locke sighed to the bar owner he had never met. It seems that the top management of the camp doesn't pay attention to this guy who defected early. Then Locke remembered the charming landlady, perhaps the influence of alcohol, and his heart was suddenly hot.

Locke was really not a virgin. In his second year in the army, he narrowly escaped death in a large-scale battle and was promoted to third class. At that time, in addition to sending money to his family every month, Locke also saved some spare money. At that time, encouraged by his comrades in arms, he went to the Quartermaster camp to solve his first problem. Perhaps because he is still a child in his heart, he is most interested in women who are older than himself. Of course, he won't admit that he has this plot. In fact, Locke subconsciously thought that the most beautiful woman he met was his sister, but every time he had this idea, he forced himself to calm down and slapped himself.