Tank Lord: The Iron Beast

Acquainted with Hans once more and predictable bet

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche nice to meet you" gave a hand followed by a smile.  

"Same, my name Richard... well as my family name I'd rather not talk about it," said with a wry smile.  

"Hm, Richard are you perhaps Rommel's second in command," said anxiously.  

"Ah, yes," said awkwardly.  

"It's nice to meet you, at last, we were finding time to ask of your opinion of the tank and the operation wishing you to test it before the other," said Porsche as he quickly runs to him.  

"Eh?! why me I meant Rommel is good right," said with a wry smile trying to step away.  

"That's is no good, I mean I was planning to give it to him but he is... you know? a bit too much for me" said Porsche a bit shy.  

"Hm... well, I guess but from what I know about him he is an easy-going guy you two would be fine," said Richard "But I have to go now, I talk about you so don't worry about going to him" as he continues.  

Richard who had already finished his business in that area slowly walks out of the room as he yawned in boredom then walked back to his quarters to rest but to find a traitor on the newest panzer tank project had caused the masses of the German people into a great uproar as they never expect there would be a person who wishes to harm and damage the advancement of the country's great advancement for their interest and profits which infuriate the public opinion towards such individual.  

The individual who planned to be rewarded for capturing and arresting the suspect was hidden from the public to avoid retaliation towards that person and based on the rumor gathered the person was related to the project and volunteered to be part of the undertaking the project so he was then obscured from the public until the authority had uncovered all the traitor that could still be within the project.  

Richard who had returned to his quarter met with Rommel once more as they were talking about the rumor and Richard who is the one who uncovered the suspect, just said something that would not relate to him by the slightest, and Rommel who is his friend was not suspect him to be that person as he was no reason to be there.  

"Well, so Richard do you have any plan later?" said Rommel with a smile.  

"Plan... hmmm, not sure maybe none at the moment I guess," said Richard as he was surprised by the question.  

"Good then let's go to the pub tonight I want to see the ladies tonight while drinking a beer at the same time," said Rommel with vigor as he smiles at Richard.  

"Erm... Sure why not" said Richard as he nods.  

"Yeah, I can brag you about how great we are as a team," said Rommel as he jumps around happily.  

A bit surprised but looking at him made Richard relieved before turning around looking at the windows while showing a sad look on him, Rommel who was jumping around happily noticed his friend's sad face accidentally which made him stop jumping for joy.  

"Agh? I will introduce you to a good girl around the Pub... Argh, I'll be damn I get you the most beautiful girl on the Pub so don't show me those sad faces okay" said Rommel as he was frustrated looking at Richard before he was given up to care of his joy.  

"... Don't worry I won't take them; I doubt they are beautiful," said Richard with a wry smile.  

"As if they are so beautiful, that you would be mesmerized by them," said Rommel as he was boasting himself like he was their parents.  

"If you say so, Rommel," said Richard as he laughs a bit.  

"I'm not joking around, though," said Rommel as he also laughs but more "Come on then let us get going it should be a night when we arrived there" he continued while nagging Richard.  

"Eh, yeah since it's the army base so it's should be far from the cities... okay, let's go," said Richard as he left together with Rommel.  

"Good, you won't regret it... well unless he shows up then," said Rommel anxiously.  

"He? who?" said Richard confused.  

"Never mind let's go," said Rommel as he left goes out first.  

Richard who looks at Rommel could only sigh as he followed him before entering a bus that would carry them to the city, the number of people that wanted to go to the city was few as they were forced to train due to lack of training thus was being overwatched by their superior but Rommel and Richard were in a better state than the others that they were ignored by the superior nor the guards.  

Waiting inside the bus Richard and Rommel went to the city where many workers, political people, and merchants walking around the street Richard previously only focus on his work and fighting on the front he never once looked at the environment near him and this is the first tie, he noticed that as he smiled sadly.  

"Again, with your sad face?! come on, don't be like that since you're going to meet many beautiful girls in the pub so don't be like that," said Rommel as he sighs.  

"Ah, haha... so where is it anyway?" said Richard as he looks at Rommel with a wry smile.  

"We'll look up to it while you wait, okay?" said Rommel with a smile.  

"Okay, if you so" Richard looks outside the windows.  

Entering the city, the two look at the inner city that is bustling with the German people but he found a bit incident the SS party soldier already persecuted a bit incident where the SS soldier already put a warning sign on the resident and the merchant area where the Jewish stayed and sell their goods as the Jewish. 

"Sad thing even though we are one of the same people who fought for the country and serve it but that SS soldier always does such thing while we fought on the frontline from the rumor, I heard great leader were coerced to persecute them because we lost the war as the means of fueling the country to another war... I'm not even sure it's true or not well like we have to care soldier's job is not to think, right Richard" said Rommel as sigh in the middle before continue talking.  

"True but the way I see it we could lose the war because we don't have much manpower for it," said Richard as turn his head to Rommel.  

"... Don't joke around Richard there is no way we lost against them, we have many soldiers to fight in the war against those Poland and even those France men the~" as Rommel laughs in the beginning before being cut off by Richard midway.  

"No, we would because of that if I had the chance to meet the higher up even by the smallest chance then... we could or possibly win against them," said Richard while narrowing his eye at Rommel to make the point is crucial.  

Rommel was planning to continue laughing but seeing Richard who never gives a serious talk suddenly changed his opinion of what the talk was about before slowly recognize that what Richard talk about is hugely significant, where he stopped talking and turned serious at him before whispering at Richard to make sure it is certain before deciding what he brought up is true.  

Richard who is still looking at Rommel finished the talk with a nod while not taking his eyes off Rommel deciding it was critical, Rommel finally decided that it was an arduous task for him decided to sigh before shaking his head.  

"I wanted to relax after we return from the army... why didn't you tell me about that?" said Rommel while scratching his head vigorously.  

"I had to go to the depot in the afternoon today, so I was late telling you about it," said Richard while looking outside the windows once more.  

"Ah... I guess that is true if that is the case then I can I meant the boss told me to find you" said Rommel as he was surprised by Richard by the word *Depot* before looking at him in the eye "Well okay, once we arrived at the pub, I'll call him so wait for me to return to you" said Rommel as he smiled at him never thinking his friend was that volunteer.  

"No need to worry, maybe you don't know I was a lady killer even when I don't find them myself, they come to me" Richard smile while closing one of his eyes.  

Hearing the word that came out of Richard's mouth just made Rommel turn blank because of it as he never expects to see Richard making a joke out of himself, before lastly laugh so loud that few people inside turn their heads at them both.  

"Ah, sorry about that... you are truly a joke, okay if you say so," said Rommel as he stands and lowers his head in sorry before sat back down looking at Richard with a wider smile than before.  

"You sure you won't regret it?" asked Richard as he raises one of his eyebrows at Rommel.  

"No, I won't but if you really can do it then I will pay for all the drink you bought," said Rommel as he gets closer to Richard as he thought it was merely a joke.  

"Okay, just don't regret it later on," said Richard as he leans his back at the seat.  

"You're on," said Rommel as he smiles.  

The two talked about their job as they wait for the bus to stop at their destination after five minutes passed they slowly get down from the bus and walk once more, they passed through the industrial section as many of the workers still walking through it, they saw another patrol of a soldier who seems to be from the Wehrmacht and they also going to the same pub as them before Rommel run to them approaching them where they noticed him and waved at him to come.  

All of them chatted for a moment then laughed loudly as they talk Rommel mentioned Richard was coming with him so he asked to invite him into the group, they turned their gaze at Richard before turning back at him saying they never met with him but they knew Richard seem close with him so they accepted him into the group without any issue.  

"Hello there Richard corrects? I'm Emmanuel nice to meet you" said the person who gave his hand.  

"Nice to meet you, too," said Richard as he shakes hands.  

"Hehe, I'm Engelbert hello," said the person who lowered his head repeatedly.  

"Hello, Richard likewise" as he also lowered his head back.  

"I once heard about you, sometimes let us have some match I heard you are a good expert shooter and I want to see it myself. Louise the name better remembered it well, Richard" said the man as he poses himself while smiling.  

"... Okay, sure," said Richard with a wry smile.  

"... Hans," said the person who greeted the last.  

"Ah, hello there," said Richard as he noticed him who looked from afar.  

Hans the former driver of my group who transferred to me during the early phase of the Barbarossa operation when I met him the first time, I noticed he had some shy personality and was notified of it by the others so when I met with him again, I did not get stunned by it.  

"Well since we are already acquainted with each other let's go to the pub and stop loitering in here shall we... come on," said Emmanuel as he walks to the bar first.  

"Sure, let's go," said Rommel with a wide smile.  

"You Partygoer," said Engelbert as he ends it with a sigh.  

"... Aren't you the same," said Hans while glancing at Engelbert.  

"Haha, yeah I sometimes forgot about that," said Engelbert while scratching his back neck.  

Everyone except Richard and Hans chuckled as they all the way walk to the pub as they met up with another patrol as they were going back to the army base to rest where they greet up for a moment for two times before continuing to the pub once more.  

"Well here we are I met with some ladies a few weeks before and they gave me a card to this address so enjoy it guys because they just made a new opening so the price was still low so many people come and advertise it," said Rommel as he points it with his thumb with a smile.  

The building shown by Rommel was still relatively new and there is some smell of fresh paint as they walked by the entrance after looking at the building it was a very enormous enterprise, unlike Richard and Rommel the others looked at it with their mouth opened.  

"Richard you aren't surprised by the size of it?" said Rommel as he was dumbfounded by Richard's lack of surprise.  

"Eh, oh about that I once visited a building much larger than this before," said Richard while giving a wry smile at Rommel.  

"What? Where is that?" shouted Rommel.  

"Nah, it had been demolished so even I tell you it useless," said Richard as he raised two of his hand while sighing.  

"Is that so then, what a letdown," said Rommel as it was quite heavy news for him.  

Richard who heard it only show a wry smile while shaking his head left and right in disbelief before lastly sighing after knowing what he meant by it.  

Richard who came in the past lied only the part of seeing once seeing huge enterprise because he already been invited to many enterprises that vary in size and form of entertainment it has to offer to the largest of eighteen building complexes because of the merit he obtained and being the general of the entire eastern front panzer division so every enterprise already been visited by him unless there is new and different enterprise because of his action.  

"Okay, let's go in we don't want to keep the ladies waiting right?" said Rommel as he walks into the enterprise.  

"Yeah" shouted everyone except Richard and Hans "Here we go again," Hans continued.  

Entering the Pub there are many people of every status from the worker, politician, merchant, soldier to the general of the army from the first floor to the second floor as they take a short vacation in relaxation before returning to their work tomorrow morning.  

Rommel who is familiar with the noticed the ladies who are still standing to wait for a new patron as one of them sees Rommel and waved at him to come over to her.  

"Rommel nice to see that you come to visit me," said a blond lady as she comes over to Rommel.  

"Me not coming, that would make me shameful man if I don't come to meet a beautiful woman like you," said Rommel as he kisses her hand as a greeting.  

"Ah, you know how to please a lady like me," said the blond lady.  

"Well, I was smitten by your beauty," said Rommel refuting her joke.  

"Ah, you also bring along some company. Welcome to our establishment I'll introduce myself, my name is Angie Eugene the madam of this establishment," said the girl as she showed the inner entrance of the pub "Girls we have four patrons, come here and escort them please" said the blond lady.  

"Yes, madam" shouted four ladies across the inner corridor.  

"As for that guy, Angie please find me some large and private room for some talk with some important people and please send the person I told you before to the same room please," said Rommel as he points his finger at Richard.  

"Large room... yeah, lucky the person who reserves the place canceled it at the very minute so it's free" answered Angie after looking at the ledger near her.  

"That's good... Angie also finds me two beautiful ladies, more beautiful than the normal one because I had some bet with him so please help me" said Rommel after glancing at Richard once.  

"Even though you whispered in a faint voice I can still hear you well enough, Rommel," says Richard while glancing at him. 

"Ah..." glanced at Richard before looking back at Rommel "He is quite handsome indeed if I weren't going out with you, I would also fall for him," said confidently.  

"Eh? what?!" said in surprise "why we are almost the same in attractiveness but how come he is more handsome than me, how infuriating" as he is unable to control his emotion.  

"So, Rommel what is it? did you just lose the attractive competition, perhaps" said Emmanuel as he gets close to Rommel "well, how do I say it he has some that unique aura about him so every young girl and lady would run after him even if you try comparing yourself with him it would be useless," as he continues slowly explaining it to him.  

"Agh, damn I lose the bet did I," said Rommel as he sighs.  

"... Even before you even start betting you already lost the bet," said Emmanuel as he laughed lightly.  

"Richard, I thought he was joking but never did I expect what he said to be true.... my lost, a deal is a deal, all the drinks are on me guys" raising his both hand in defeat before grabbing a nearby beer for a cheer "Cheers everyone" as he continues.  

"Cheers" everyone shouted before dispersing.  

Richard who already arrived follows the group to the inside before splitting up as he goes to the upper floor walking slowly to the end of it before some escort who will be guiding Richard to the destination's room where he following behind her, arriving at the end of the corridor he was invited to his right side where the guard in front of it knocks the door three-time where a sound was heard from the inside of it.  

"Let him enter," said the voice inside the room.  

"You may enter, sir when it is done, we shall guide you to another room for your, umm entertainment," said the two female escorts.  

"Understood," said Richard as he glanced at the guard.  

The guard then put his hand on the handle before opening it which revealed the people behind the door as Richard walks in as the door closed behind him.