Chapter 595: I Heard Many of Your Troops Speak German?
The first rays of the New Year's sun shone brightly, illuminating a world now plunged into the year 1916. Yet despite the arrival of daylight, the skies remained darkened by the relentless clouds of war. Chirping birds couldn't halt the roaring cannons, nor could mournful tears resurrect those who'd fallen.
On this first day of the new year, countless people silently wondered: how many more would be forced from their beloved homes, separated from families, sent to distant battlefields, and inevitably, to their deaths?
…
At the City Hall in Namur, now serving as headquarters for Belgium's 1st Special Reconnaissance Army, King Albert I was busily sorting through piles of supply reports. Within mere days, numerous alarming messages had flooded onto his desk:
"Flour supplies critically low—reserves sufficient for no more than three days."
"Ammunition dangerously depleted—many troops possess less than one full load of ammunition."
"Severe artillery shell shortages—one-third of artillery batteries currently without shells!"
Finally, Albert threw down his pen in frustration, rising from his desk to pace restlessly across the room.
"This can't go on," he muttered angrily. "We absolutely must sustain the 6th Army. That's Charles's army—if they're compromised, Belgium itself faces disaster."
He cursed under his breath: "Those damned British! At this critical juncture, they're deliberately cutting French supplies. The Germans clearly sense it, too, launching frequent small-scale attacks to drain ammunition further."
Albert turned sharply to Eden, recently promoted to Brigadier General. "Where are the French ammunition shipments now?"
"Still stuck in Paris, Your Majesty," Eden replied with frustration. "Parliament is intentionally delaying their release, claiming strategic supply audits must be conducted, even though the purchaser is Charles himself."
"Those greedy, short-sighted fools!" Albert exploded, his voice filled with disgust. "They ignore battlefield dangers, recklessly gambling with soldiers' lives—and care nothing for Belgium's survival."
Determined, he swiftly issued a series of commands:
"Immediately urge all Belgian civilians to ration food carefully. We must supply Charles's 6th Army with food at all costs!"
"For ammunition, urgently contact FN Company. Explore any possible solutions—perhaps replacing the 6th Army's Lebel rifles temporarily with our own Belgian rifles and compatible ammunition. Of course, we'll need Charles's consent first!"
Just then, an aide entered quickly. "Your Majesty, General Charles has arrived!"
Surprised, Albert immediately stepped out of his office, greeting Charles solemnly rather than with his usual cheerful manner. "Don't worry, General. I'll resolve these supply problems personally. You won't have to bow to British pressure—because bowing to Britain means Belgium bows too!"
Albert clearly recognized Belgium's survival depended entirely on Charles's strength. If the British managed to control Charles, they effectively controlled Belgium.
However, Charles surprised him: "Actually, Your Majesty, I'm not here about the supply situation."
"Not about supplies?" Albert stared at him, puzzled. "What could be more urgent now?"
Charles gestured subtly toward the private meeting room, prompting Albert to join him inside. After the aide served coffee and stoked the fireplace, the door was shut securely behind them.
"The supply situation isn't as dire as it appears, Your Majesty," Charles said calmly, idly stirring his coffee without actually drinking it.
Albert looked confused. "But every report I receive indicates otherwise…"
"Because that's precisely what I want everyone else to believe," Charles replied gently.
Albert relaxed visibly, comprehension dawning. "Ah—so, this is another one of your schemes?"
Charles nodded, smiling slightly. "Precisely."
"But how?" Albert questioned curiously. "I mean, with Britain, Parliament, and Germany simultaneously working against you, how did you manage to secretly reserve supplies and ammunition?"
"I began preparations the day I left Gembloux," Charles explained evenly. "That's precisely why I adopted the 'elastic defense' tactic."
Another hidden purpose behind Charles's elastic defense was precisely ammunition conservation. By thinning front-line troops deliberately, ammunition usage significantly decreased. Yet he continued reporting standard ammunition consumption to headquarters, stockpiling the excess ammunition unnoticed beneath the noses of Parliament and Britain.
Albert's expression turned from confusion to admiration: "So, you anticipated this from the very beginning—when you left Gembloux?"
"Exactly," Charles affirmed calmly.
"But why?" Albert asked, astonished. "Just to survive this immediate crisis?"
"No, Your Majesty," Charles replied confidently. "Relying on hidden reserves alone isn't enough to weather such a long-term siege. My real purpose is different—I'm intentionally drawing Germany to attack Antwerp."
"Attack Antwerp?" Albert exclaimed, shocked. "But—would the Germans really dare attack there again?"
"Yes," Charles answered patiently. "My forces appear critically low on supplies, while Antwerp remains well-stocked, lightly defended by Belgian and British troops. Moreover, Antwerp currently threatens the security of over 100,000 German soldiers. They'll inevitably launch an attack."
Albert quickly moved to the strategic map on the wall, eyes widening as he stared at Antwerp's position. Just as Charles said, Antwerp had again become a key strategic target without anyone realizing it.
"We absolutely can't lose Antwerp," Albert murmured urgently, his face growing pale. "It's the foundation of our entire defensive line—a critical supply hub. Losing it could collapse our defenses entirely!"
"Antwerp won't fall," Charles reassured him, rising to warm his hands by the fireplace. Its comforting heat slowly chased away the chill he'd carried from outside.
Albert suddenly realized the deeper truth. Charles wasn't merely conserving supplies to overcome temporary difficulties—he planned a decisive counterattack against the Germans.
Moreover, if Charles had begun this secret conservation the day he left Gembloux, did that mean he'd predicted this entire chain of events from the start? Albert stared at Charles, astonished.
"My God," Albert murmured quietly. "Everyone is playing into your hands—Parliament, Britain, even Germany itself!"
Ignoring the Belgian king's amazement, Charles unexpectedly asked: "By the way, Your Majesty—I heard many of your troops speak German fluently?"
Albert, momentarily thrown off balance by the sudden question, answered hesitantly, "Yes, of course. Many Belgian soldiers know German well. But why do you ask?"
Charles simply smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. The Belgian king suddenly felt that Charles's plans extended far beyond even what he'd just heard.
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