Chapter 532: Overworked and Underappreciated
The war in the Philippines had caught Bruno off guard. He had heard whispers of movements rising in the East, but his focus had been elsewhere.
Whether it was the hostile takeover of American industry and infrastructure, the war in New Guinea against the Japanese, or simply Heinrich’s wedding; Bruno’s schedule had been packed.
He had spent months in Berlin away from his family, living in the office of the German Army’s General Staff, sleeping at his desk or on a spare bunk in the barracks.
Showering and performing other basic hygiene alongside enlisted soldiers. It was a far cry from the comfort he enjoyed as Supreme Marshal of the Realm while living in Tyrol.
The title was unofficial, something he had coined himself to reflect his position; not only as Chief of Staff within the German Armed Forces, but as the man whom all the branches, and their leadership, regarded as their superior.
Still, he felt like a young man at the academy again. And for someone already fifty years of age, the nostalgia had long worn off.
His children were getting older. The eldest among them were approaching their thirties, while the youngest, born in 1915, still had a few years left before adulthood.
Some of his grandchildren were now in their teenage years. All Bruno wanted was to be close to his family and command from his private office in the Grand Palace he had built.
But in a time of war, proximity to the Kaiser was non-negotiable. And so he remained in Berlin.
As Bruno dozed at his desk, he was stirred by a voice.
"He’s fallen asleep. The man is clearly overworked! Can’t you ask your sister to speak with her husband and get the Kaiser to lighten his load? Father isn’t as young as he used to be!"
Recognizing the voice of his daughter-in-law, Bruno grumbled and raised his hand.