Bruno was sitting in the yard of the estate, gazing at the new pool he had installed within the back, the depth of the pool was more than enough to meet the Olympic ratings as a dive pool in his past life, while its length and width met that of a lap pool of equal size.
However, this pool was grand, decorated with large baroque style fountains on the edge, and slides that plunged passed the fountain’s spouts and in to vast pool from below. A seemingly flawless hybrid of practical fun and craftsmanship with the absolute elegance and artistry of a more noble past.
Spring had come and melted away the snows, and for Bruno the temperature was more than adequate to sit on an inflatable tube with a beer in one hand, and while wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks.
His family were all playing in the pool, enjoying a modern modern style of fun together inspired by Bruno’s past life, while the man himself was relaxing. Trying to let the weight and burden of a war that crushed his shoulders slip off and drown in the water below.
Of course, Erwin was a bit flustered. This was the most of his fiancée’s skin he had ever seen. Her swimwear was by no means as revealing and lewd as the world Bruno had previously lived in, and was a more refined and modest taste suitable for a more sensible era.
But still, it was enough to make a 14-year-old boy bursting with hormones blush in embarrassment. Provoking a response from his father who was resting nearby with a beer in his hands. Bruno couldn’t help but narrow his brow and lower his sunglasses as he stared at his teenage son before splashing him in the face and condemning him.
“Oi! Lecher! I will see you! No lewding the girls with those perverted eyes of yours! That’s someone’s daughter you know!”
Erwin immediately wanted to drown himself in the pool with the overwhelming embarrassment he caused him as Alya and her friends looked over at Erwin and giggled at his current state. As for Heidi, she immediately looked over at her husband with a death glare, causing him to immediately paddle his inflatable tube in a 180, forcing him away from the fearsome gaze of a woman scorned.
After which he made his wave over to his son and handed him the beer in his hand.
“Here boy, drink, it’ll help you feel less awkward…”
Erwin had never been offered an alcoholic beverage by his father before and was shocked as he looked at the glass bottle and the bold letters engraved on its sticker. It was a beer company that Bruno had founded called “Eisen.”
Well, saying that Bruno founded it was stealing credit, no, it was founded by the one of the disabled veterans from the Iron Division in 1906 after returning from the Russian Civil War. Most of the volunteers who fought over there stayed in the army, either becoming NCOs or commissioned officers in the Great War, while others filled up the leadership positions of the Feldgendarmerie.
However, those who were too wounded either physically or mentally to resume active service often went off to found their own ventures in life, which Bruno personally financed every single one of them as a sign of deep respect to the sacrifice they made in completely voluntary service within a foreign war.
Eisen Brewery was one of these ventures, and had the emblem of the iron division as its logo, which Bruno was more than happy to allow. It was a symbol that as far as he was concerned belonged to every veteran of the Iron Division and not a single one in particular. Let alone himself, who came up with the design using inspiration from his past life.
It turned out the wounded veteran was quite the brewer, coming up with a series of traditional style German beers that were better than anything on the market as far as Bruno was concerned and it became his exclusive brand of beer over the years.
Eisen was also incredibly popular among soldiers, as the company did massive charity donations to organizations designed to help wounded veterans. And yes, that included those suffering from mental disorders resulting from combat such as “shell shock” which had become increasingly popular as a result of the Great War.
With all of this in mind, Erwin might have mistaken the meaning behind his father’s sudden gift as something more serious than a simple “peace offering” and the way that the boy damn near idolized the bottle caused Bruno to question his son’s sanity.
“What’s wrong, boy? You never seen a beer bottle before?”
Erwin was quick to snap back to reality as he shook his head and stuttered, trying to overcome his embarrassment once more than he hurriedly answered his father. “No… sir! I just… I haven’t had a beer before…”
Bruno raised a brow when he heard this. Considering this was the German Empire where there was no set drinking age like his past life, and that drinking beer was quite common among young men and teenage boys. Especially those in the military, or the academy. Bruno found this to be unusual.
He was about to interrogate his son firmly, when he noticed the boy’s gaze shifting between the beer and over at Alya once more. No longer a lustful gaze, but one of deep contemplation, as if he was trying not to give into the temptation as a way to prove to his future wife he was a man of temperance and discipline.
A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips as he recognized the internal battle in his son. He’d seen it many times before, in young soldiers on the battlefield. The internal struggle between wanting to prove oneself and doing what felt right. But this wasn’t a war; this was Erwin’s first step into adulthood, and Bruno wasn’t about to rush it.
As a result, Bruno could only smile and shake his head, before patting his son’s shoulder, letting him know drinking wasn’t the end of the world. And that it was okay to enjoy himself in subtle ways.
“Erwin, it’s just a beer… I’m not trying to pressure you or anything, it’s your choice to make at the end of the day. But it’s not as serious as a matter as you are making it out to be. Even as a married man, there are still times where you are able to enjoy yourself.
But like I said, it’s ultimately your choice, kid. Do what you feel is best. Now I’m going to go get on my knees and grovel in front of your mother for forgiveness, or else she will give me hell for the little prank I pulled on you later tonight. Have fun, because you’re only a child once….”
Bruno then began to swim off under the surface of the pool, like a shark sneaking up on his prey, that being his wife. As for Erwin, he looked at the beer one last time before deciding to take a silent sip. There were a lot of complicated emotions in his mind as he did so.
Most of which was a recognition that as the years passed and he became older, his father had become a far less fearsome and tyrannical figure to him. In fact, now that he was on the cusp of adulthood, it was almost as if they were equals…
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