Chapter 554: The Council of Allies
Spring, 1932. The embers of Seoul still glowed beneath a sky dimmed by weeks of smoke and ash, yet already the machinery of power had resumed its endless motion.
The war had not ended.
And neither had duty.
Bruno von Zehntner stood at the edge of the great map table in the temporary command center constructed on the outskirts of Vladivostok.
He and many others among both the German Strategic High Command and that of their Russian allies found it necessary to relocate closer to the front for the final days of the war.
The walls were lined with hastily constructed beams, the scent of fresh-cut wood still clinging to the cold air.
Outside, the banners of the German Empire flanked those of Imperial Russia. Inside, a war council was taking shape.
Alexei Romanov sat at the table’s head, flanked by senior Russian generals, German field marshals, and political attachés.
His face was pale but composed. This would be his first attempt at partaking in a war. A war his father had entered on their allies behalf. A war his father had passed away halfway through.
The weight on his shoulders was monumental, and he did not quite know how to handle it. He wore a uniform reminiscent of his father’s, One that reminded Bruno of the late Tsar himself.
Younger, inexperienced, but willing to do what was right and necessary for the sake of his people.
"His Majesty thanks you for your attendance," one of the Russian generals began, his voice thick with formality, but Alexei raised a hand.