Chapter 419: No Preparations
Before Charles could react, the young girl beside him turned and shouted to the crowd, waving her hands in excitement: "He's here! Charles is with me! Charles is here!"
The people around turned their eyes toward Charles. Many had once sought refuge in Antwerp and recognized him immediately.
"It's really him—Charles is here!"
"He's grown up, looks so much more mature."
"My God, he's fighting alongside the troops—a true hero!"
With no other choice, Charles rose and gave a wave.
The crowd responded with even louder cheers, surging toward the armored car, eager to offer flowers and shake Charles's hand.
"You've saved us again, General!"
"I apologize for what happened in Antwerp; that was never our intention."
"Thank you for rescuing Belgium once more!"
Charles could only smile and respond as best he could, but in truth, he was on edge. All it would take was one German sniper hiding nearby or in one of the buildings, and his life would come to an abrupt end.
Luckily, the local guerrilla fighters stepped in, holding back the crowd and shouting, "This is still war! Charles needs to catch up with the enemy—do you want to help them get away?"
Gradually, the people moved aside to let the troops pass, although they continued cheering as the convoy moved through Brussels. Charles breathed a sigh of relief.
Tijani glanced at the lipstick marks now decorating Charles's face and teased, "Our General, victorious on the battlefield, nearly drowned in kisses!"
The nearby soldiers burst into laughter.
Charles hurriedly tried to wipe away the lipstick marks, but the more he wiped, the more smudged they became, making the soldiers and Tijani laugh even harder. To them, it was amusing to see their otherwise composed general flustered by something so simple.
After the laughter subsided, Tijani took out a map, leaned over the side of the car, and spread it out beside Charles. "Next up, it's Antwerp. Around thirty-five kilometers from Mechelen."
Charles replied, "Are you asking how we're going to capture it?"
"Of course," Tijani said, nodding. "It's the key piece in the plan."
Antwerp's capture would complete the encirclement of the German forces.
"Taking it won't be easy," Tijani continued, pointing to the map. "The garrison may consist only of new recruits, but the Germans have had time to send reinforcements. And I've heard they've reinforced the defenses and restored several fortresses."
Charles nodded. He had anticipated this as a consequence of the recent Dardanelles campaign, which he'd used to trick the Germans into thinking the British would land in the north and strike from behind Belgium.
"So, what preparations have you made?" Tijani asked curiously.
"I haven't made any," Charles replied.
"That's impossible!" Tijani laughed, but then the laughter faded as he noticed Charles's serious expression. A worry crept into his voice. "No preparations at all? That could ruin everything!"
Charles answered calmly, "You're prepared, and so is the army."
"What do you mean?" Tijani asked, puzzled.
Charles looked around at the convoy. "I'm talking about the armored and mechanized divisions."
"Oh…" Tijani realized, then frowned, concerned. "But Antwerp has fortified strongholds and 200mm and 150mm artillery. Those can tear our tanks and armored vehicles to shreds with little effort."
Tijani had studied the available information thoroughly before this battle.
"I've been to Antwerp. I know about those fortresses, General," Charles replied, sounding as if it were a minor issue. "The defenses were designed at a time when no one knew what a tank was."
"So, you think they'll struggle to hit moving targets?" Tijani asked, beginning to understand.
Charles nodded. "Just like the German 105mm guns."
The double-layered fortress ring around Antwerp might seem formidable, but it was primarily intended to repel enemy infantry. The armored and mechanized units, with their shell-resistant plating, were outside the scope of these defenses.
Charles concluded, "We just need to ignore those fortresses—as if they don't exist. We should be able to win."
"We 'should'?" Tijani was incredulous. "You're not certain?"
If they were wrong, it could mean a total disaster for the army!
Charles shrugged. "This is war, General. No one can be certain until the very end."
...
Meanwhile, on Ben Nevis, a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Britain, King Albert I and his hiking team were gathered around a campfire, preparing to eat and rest before continuing.
Albert had organized the hike to vent his frustrations. For months, he had been working tirelessly to secure a British landing in northern Belgium, going as far as to pay massive bribes to British officials.
But when everything seemed set, and most believed the landing was imminent, the Dardanelles campaign began instead.
The truth had only reached Albert recently, delivered by General Winter in a phone call.
"Did you really think Charles was planning a northern landing?" Winter had said. "No, Your Majesty. Charles never intended that. We misread the situation entirely."
"That's impossible," Albert replied. "He said it to me himself. He believed a northern landing made more sense…"
"Your Majesty," Winter interrupted, "that was a ruse to mislead the Germans. It was meant to make them think the Dardanelles was a mere feint, buying us time."
Albert had been dumbfounded. He realized he had been used, and that Charles had used him like a pawn.
How had this happened?
Albert had thought of Charles as a friend, a confidant, even the hope for Belgium's future. If anyone could save Belgium, it had to be Charles.
And yet, Charles had lied to him, deceiving everyone. Albert had even told his people that victory was near, that Charles would soon lead an army to liberate them…
Now, he jabbed the ground with his hiking pole, as though plunging a sword into an enemy.
"Your Majesty!" the radio operator called, staring at Albert with wide eyes. "They're saying that Charles's forces have entered Belgium and liberated Brussels!"
"What?" Albert leapt to his feet as if stung. "Say that again! Is…is it true?"
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