Re: Blood and Iron

Chapter 314: Anticipating Everything



Chapter 314: Anticipating Everything

Chapter 314: Anticipating Everything

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Bruno sat in his temporary study within Bran Castle. While operations were going on within Luxembourg that had the potential to change the course of the war permanently, he was busy overseeing his daily tasks required with ruling over Transylvania.

Doing his best to overhaul everything he could so that the people of Transylvania would be in a better place after his reign came to an end than they were when he received it. Ideally, that should be the goal of every monarch.

Create a better country than you received from your parents. But humans were flawed, deeply flawed, one might add. And it was because of this that even the best of intentioned human beings often found themselves being led astray from their initial ambitions and ultimately losing sight of the greater picture.

But Bruno was a man free from such temptations, he had after all already suffered in death. He was on his second life, and he knew what the future held in store for humanity. He was far more afraid of dying before he could restore the weave of fate to this world than he was of death itself.

And thus, mortal temptations that would otherwise lead other monarchs astray held no power over him. He was a man dedicated to the greater picture. And because of this, his mentality was never flawed. Frankly speaking, Transylvania had not been his responsibility, nor

concern.

That is until it was bequeathed to him and his family by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, as more or less their own personal fiefdom. The moment that occurred he had every much of an obligation to the nearly 8 million people who lived in Transylvania as he did the tens of millions who resided within the German Reich.

Thus, he adopted the mentality that he believed monarchs ought to have when ruling over Transylvania, no matter how long the reign of his house over its lands may be. It could theoretically last until the end of the war, it could last a few decades until when Austro- Hungary inevitably collapsed on the weight of itself.

Or it could last centuries. Either way, all he could really do was try to improve what already existed, and build anew what he could with the time he was given however long that may be. Thus he was hard at work, free from the worries and stress of what was otherwise happening with in the world, and especially its ongoing Great War.

After all, communicating with a man who was living a far more primitive lifestyle was difficult to say the least. Actual letters needed to be delivered to him by hand and returned to the sender with one of his own. Hence why he did not learn of Paul von Hindenburg's plans until Heidi entered the room and handed him the letter from the local postman.

"This has been addressed to you with some urgency from your friend Heinrich... I believe it would be wise to open it sooner rather than later, my love..."

Bruno nodded his head and thanked his wife before dismissing her. And once she had closed the door behind her exit, he pulled out his boot knife, which was his own pathfinder knife from the days as the commander of the Iron Division, where he was quick to use its edge as a letter opener.

Once doing this, Bruno read the contents which revealed what the overall strategy was on the Western Front, and how Paul von Hindenburg sought to end the war here and now. And after doing so, he lit the letter aflame, not wanting any record of the communication.

Not because it was particularly illegal, or damning of any kind. But rather because he did not wish for the record of their correspondence to be uncovered, and the intelligence contained within to be utilized against the German Army.

Bruno's own expression was stoic, and nothing more. What Paul von Hindenburg planned to do was none of his concern, because he knew it would ultimately fail to achieve its goals. After all, Bruno had been keeping his eyes on many key players of the conflict, and the next one that should occur a mere 21 years after this current war concluded.

He knew all too well of Charles de Gaulle's escape from the Prisoner of War camp, and he also knew that the man had climbed the ranks of the French Army rather quickly, and was now stationed within the unit that was invading Luxembourg.

That was a man with enough common sense to see a trap when it sprung itself before him. And because of this, Bruno knew the man would go to whatever lengths he could to prevent This allies from being played by Hindenburg.

There was about a 10% chance that the Allies were encircled and obliterated as Hindenburg planned. But it was far more likely that they would stop and hold Luxembourg with their new armored vehicles.

This was something that could prove some difficulty to the German forces stationed in the region when it came to recapturing what Hindenburg had voluntarily given up for his schemes made in the vain pursuit of glory.

In fact, Bruno estimated that there was a 60-70% chance that when the Kaiser realized that they would once more have to shed blood re-taking Luxembourg, and significantly more than before, Paul von Hindenburg would at the very least suffer some form of public humiliation, if not disgraced entirely.

And that would ultimately be the price he paid for trying to one up Bruno and make him look bad in front of his peers. Because of this, Bruno simply shook his head and commented on his thoughts aloud, knowing that nobody was nearby to hear them.

"Fucking idiots... Why do they always think they know better than I?"

After saying this, he went right back to signing his name on another document that he had just read over prior to the interruption he just now endured. After all, work called, and there was no rest for a man with a vision for the future.


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