Chapter 504: Extracting a Burned Asset
In the years since living as an entitled noble scion, who engaged in petty corruption and racketeering. Maximilian had redeemed himself through service to the German Reich, acting as an agent of Military Intelligence.
During the Great War he had received great honors for being the man to inspire and lead the Arab Rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, while Bruno had brokered the agreement that stabilized the region after the war was over, Maximilian was in the deserts fighting as one of them, and earning the respect of the Sharif of Mecca.
Now however, Maximilian was continuing with his efforts, though thoroughly redeemed in the eyes of his family, peers, and superiors. Maximilian felt he had not yet given enough and undertook the dangerous task of infiltrating de Gaulle’s inner circle.
Until now, de Gaulle was simply happy to have someone competent among his ranks, as most of his hardened veterans died while trying to defend Paris from Pétain’s capture of the city.
But this suspected identity could no longer be ignored. And because of this, Axel was quick to come up with a fabrication on the spot that was believable enough to satisfy his interrogator.
"Alright... Fine, you got me... I was in Guiana, keeping the peace as a glorified sentry while the rest of you were bleeding in the likes of Ypres. I didn’t want to say this, because I’m ashamed I couldn’t do more for my country until now..."
de Gaulle was not thoroughly convinced and was quick to interrogate Maximilian using words that would only be found in the Guianese dialect of French. Which shockingly, Maximilian responded to perfectly in retort.
Leaving the man’s suspicions thoroughly dispelled, as he asked but one more question to fully confirm this was the truth of "Axel’s" mysterious origins.
"Alright... But tell me this, why did it take you four whole years to arrive here in France?"
In response to this, Maximilians simply scoffed and rolled his eyes, coming up with the most convenient excuse he could think of.