Age: 22

Rank: Private

Anton is a peculiar individual; a supposed Romanian nobleman with almost no noble manners in his behavior. Instead, he's energetic, impatient, naive, and a bit arrogant.

He grew up in a relatively wealthy noble family, granting him a life of no consequences under a protective bubble; everything was provided to him, he had no problems with other people due to his social status and every misdemeanor he committed would simply end with his family paying a fine or bribe to the police. Anton was not a serious criminal, but rather a boy of mischief who enjoyed causing mischief. Yet, when he is not busy annoying others with his antics, Anton was a kind and sociable young man, trying to make sure the people who cared for him were well and happy.

Despite serious reservations, Anton also attended a university of philosophy for two years in Romania at the behest of his parents. This education gave him a more philosophical view on the world, which he subsequently used to woo many women on those late study nights. Regardless of his lack of effort, Anton did achieve a good grasp of the philosophy he learnt at university and this knowledge has served to keep him optimistic for the future ever since.

His approach to duty was always carefree; he viewed it as something that needed to be done and nothing more, he never considered it as something important or something that will bring him honor. This was particularly true about his studies and against great protest and a barrage of threats from his parents, Anton later dropped out of the university. His decision to forfeit the honor and respect that comes with education in Romania caused his own parents to disown him, and Anton never spoke to them since.

Anton became a self-proclaimed ‘biographer’ after leaving university; he would write less than generous stories of famous individuals and then blackmail them against his threat of publishing these written works for money. When the number of wealthy individuals in Romania began to dry up as the war dragged on to 1944, Anton decided there was no more benefits to living like this and sought for a change in lifestyle. Anton was drafted into the army in early 1944 by men who promised him a small wage when he was financially broke. In training, Anton showed a capable mastery of survival skills but otherwise displayed nothing particularly special in his military training. He showed no ambition and rather chose to shirk duty whenever possible, but he never refused direct orders and always conducted his duty. Perhaps due to sheer luck, Anton has had a string of comfortable placements, either as part of a logistics unit behind the lines or as an escort for the wounded towards safety. During these treks with the wounded, Anton's sociable side emerged. It would not be uncommon for one to find Anton engaging with wounded men with the tales of his past or making those slowly heading to their final moments laugh. This made him a good person but a bad soldier, as while he had seen his fair share of the war, he lacked much of the necessary discipline to be an asset in combat.

Anton’s lack of military ability doesn’t always mean he cannot be relied on to help his fellow soldiers; in times of need, he assists his comrades vigorously and without fear. On one such occasion he saved an entire unit by drawing enemy focus away from them, allowing the unit to escape. In combat, he shows a bit of cockiness, praising his own skills and courage, but oblivious to the idea that it may only be a combination of his survival skills and an unprecedented amount of luck that has kept him alive.

War does take its toll, and Anton has constantly wondered if there was a way to escape the fighting. Long days digging trenches and cold nights fighting to keep warm while burying corpses were not the life he had envisioned when he left university. His will to leave never shook his resolve to uphold his military duty until a communique arrived for him from Romania. The brief letter simply read ‘All Constantine family dead. Anton Constantine to inherit all belongings. Anton Constantine to be transferred to Camp 314’. Anton knew his family had a great stash of wealth in Romania and Switzerland, a villa and valuable belongings in both countries meant that he could go to either and have enough wealth to live the rest of his life in luxury. This simple message he had read changes everything, or would have if he wasn’t stuck in this war. In the following days, Anton agonized over what he should do. The call to duty was strong, but what is the point of having wealth if one is not alive to use it? Days passed into weeks, and eventually Anton decided he would grab the next opportunity to rid himself of this war. His logic is simple, if he could get to Switzerland, he would be almost untouchable from the Romanian authorities, and any trouble coming his way can simply be bribed off with his newfound wealth.

Anton wanted to desert, but he lacked a plan on how to do so. Deserting by oneself is practically suicide, and seeing how his own chances were slim, his best bet would be to find other like-minded deserters. Fortune smiled upon him when he was assisting some men with truck loading at Camp 314. He struck up a conversation with a man called Otto, who complained bitterly about the state of the war. It didn’t take much time talking for Anton to discover Otto and a few others were planning to desert, and to Switzerland! His chance had come! It was a golden opportunity in the best circumstances he could hope for. Anton quickly convinced Otto he too wanted to desert, and agreement for his joining was soon reached.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the experience with the group of deserters was the first meeting. Otto, Friedrich, Ulrich and he were all men who knew what they were meeting for and the consequences for plotting such action. There were just ten guards left at the camp, and the four of them were planning to desert. The air in the dull wooden room filled with tense anticipation for the evacuation of the camp. The plan, as explained by Friedrich, was simple; Friedrich will use his high rank to make sure the four of them were the last to leave the camp. The commanding officer of the camp will doubtlessly leave the four of them to destroy crucial information in the camp and possibly dispose of the remaining prisoners. The officer will probably leave while the men complete these tasks, and it is at this time when the officer is not around, they will desert from the army. If the officer remains at to oversee these actions, then they will dispose of the officer. The idea that what they planned was tantamount to treason gave Anton a huge adrenaline rush. It seems his mischievous side was only slumbering, and not slain.

Throughout his time at Camp 314, Anton has begun to appreciate the other three men as his brothers. It had been a long time since he had felt the joys of the feeling to belong. These men were his new family now, and when they get to Switzerland, he may even invite everyone and Otto’s family to his great villa, and enjoy the rest of their lives together in luxury. “We all deserved it!” Anton thought repeatedly, “Just one final trek through the wilderness to a happy ending!”

This character profile was helped by Seth_Kiparis