Chapter 151: War is Coming...
Bruno had more or less suspected that France would begin its propaganda efforts. War was more than looking like a certainty for the world as a whole as the years passed. And Germany had begun preparing long before anyone else.
While other nations were still focused on meeting recruitment quotas, Germany was in the process of developing advanced weapons. The latest of which were expected to see full scale production by 1912. Two years before the war would break out if all went according to planned.
Then again, Bruno had caused so many significant changes in this timeline that it was actually impossible to know when the War would break out, and what would be the cause. He often had thought to himself of a dreadful fate of irony, that his assassination by the Black Hand would spark the War without him, rather than the untimely death of Franz Ferdinand.
But believe it or not, Erich was very good at his job, and monitoring the ins and outs of the German Reich and those dangerous people residing within its borders, whether temporarily or permanently, was his bread and butter.
The Black Hand had, on more than one occasion, attempted to infiltrate the German Reich in a bid to try a second or third time to end Bruno's life. But each time they had found themselves buried in a shallow unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere. That is, of course, after being dragged to a Stasi black site for interrogation. Which, of course, did not officially exist in any record.
To put it simply, Bruno was rather satisfied with his investment in his friendship with Erich. Even though the man had long since been driven to a state of never-ending bloodlust, and absolute callousness towards life as a result of repeated exposure to the horrors of war. He was a useful bloodhound to send against his enemies.
And it was perhaps because of that the two men were meeting in a public setting within the City of Berlin at the moment. Erich and Bruno were both dressed in an expensive choice of attire, which Erich couldn't help but comment on knowing his friend's true nature.
"It must be killing you to wear that suit. You look the part of a proper nobleman, and I know how much you like to pretend to be humble..."
Bruno, like Erich, was smoking a cigarette while drinking from a cup of premium coffee with his free hand. He placed down the cup and looked Erich in the eyes. Not even bothering to make a statement of defense towards his humbler attitude towards life.
Instead, he smirked while accepting his friend's banter, as one would normally be inclined to do so.