The Death of the French Army's Chief of Staff had far-reaching consequences across all of Europe. But especially in France proper. Leon Sinclair was currently at a bar drinking excessively to cope with the most recent attack.
According to the French Government who had investigated the assassination it was conducted by the French Socialists, but that was utter bullshit and he knew it. Of course, Leon would be aware, an avid member of the French revolutionary socialist movement that none of his comrades would make such an attack.
That was just asking for trouble, trouble they were not yet prepared to deal with. So then who? Who could possibly pull off such an attack on French soil!?! Wasn't the answer obvious? It was the fucking Germans! It was always the Germans!
The man was quite livid. He had just come home from putting down the rebellion in Madagascar to find the news of the Bolshevik Revolution. Everything from the death of Leon Trotsky in Saint Petersburg where he was shot like a dog in the streets and left as puppy chow for the hounds of the Tsarist loyalists.
To the fact that the Red Army was being held responsible for the assassination attempt on Bruno's life. Something which Leon was personally suspicious of, but had no evidence for his theories which would broadly be considered conspiratorial by anyone who heard them.
And then there was the existence of the Iron Divsion. It was simply abnormal. How did the Germans arm, supply, and train a force of so called foreign volunteers in such a short span of time to fight against the Red Army?
And why was he of all people, in command of it? Truth be told, Leon had been keeping tabs on Bruno and his rise to power. Not necessarily since the Boxer Rebellion where they first met. But most certainly since his exploits in Manchuria, where he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun 4th Class for his efforts at Port Arthur.
A prestigious award, no doubt. One worthy of a man who had won a significant battle on behalf of the Imperial Japanese Army. Bruno had been busy making a name for himself by participating in foreign conflicts. And in doing so, building ties for the German Reich to other imperial powers.
That bastard had already risen to the rank of Generalleutnant, only to be discharged from the army, and immediately forming the Iron Division, a so-called force of volunteers to fight against the Red Menace?
No, Leon wasn't buying it. There was no way this Iron Division was a force of volunteers. Or at least not wholly so. At the very least, its leaders were active members of the German Armed Forces, acting under the guise of foreign volunteers to avoid causing an international dispute. Without a doubt Bruno's discharge was a mere farce on behalf of the Kaiser and the General Staff of the German Army. Bruno was 100% acting under the orders of the German Army, and would no doubt return to their ranks and active service once the war was over. No doubt accumulating many honors for his participation in the Bolshevik Revolution.
It was a deeply cunning scheme. One that few men saw through. And perhaps it was simply because of Leon's hatred for the Germans that he could see through it. Some people said hatred made you blind to the truth, but in many cases it made you hyper aware of conspiracies in the shadows.
Conspiracies that, while true as could be, would make you mocked by those in polite company should you ever declare such a thing to be reality. And it was because of Leon's hatred for the Germans that he could see through the lies Bruno and the German High Command had concocted in order to send the German Army into Russia.
A bold move to be sure, and a controversial one should the world become aware of this conspiracy. Whether it was the fact that the German Army was operating in Russia illegally under the guise of this so called Iron Division, or the idea that the assassination of the French Chief of Staff was actually the wicked deed of the German Reich. Proving either of these theories was damn near impossible for Leon.
He, after all, was only a colonel in the French Army. He had neither fame, fortune, nor connections to bring these conspiracies to the light of the public. And because of this, he drank his sorrows away. Dressed fully in his uniforms, with the medals he had been awarded for fighting in China and Africa pinned to his chest.
Next to him was a haggard and grimy middle aged man. Wearing the clothes of a factory worker, which were covered in oil stains after his day at work. The two men were drinking the same brand of cognac while staring into their glasses.
Neither of which actually dared to speak to one another. At least not loud enough for others to hear who may be listening in. Rather, they whispered to each other just loud enough that they could understand each other's words.
"Comrade Sinclair, the collective has determined that we are not responsible for the death of the Chief of Staff. It would appear your theories of international players being at fault are indeed correct. At the very least, nobody in our movement was aware of this attack or its planning.
However, we have no proof. And ultimately it's the word of the government vs our own. The people in the streets are demanding the blood of everyone who has even read Marxist philosophy, let alone those who openly display their allegiance to the cause.
Now is not the time to pursue the truth, rather we must keep our heads low. Especially you... You alone are the hope of gaining the support of the Army for the day our revolution begins. So just lie low, and condemn us if you have to. Hunt us, even if that needs to be done. But never reveal to anyone other than your comrades where your heart truly lies.
That's all for now. I have to go. If I appear beside you any longer, it will only allow suspicion. Good luck, and may we meet again... Even if it must be in the next life!"
Leon did not say a word. He simply sat there in silence, drinking his cognac until his comrade had paid for his drinks and left the pub. He was furious beyond belief. His eyes were clearly bloodshot. Whether from excessive substance abuse, lack of sleep, or something else entirely only Leon knew.
But he had rather subconsciously made Bruno out to be the ultimate evil in this world. His arch-nemesis who he would one day rise above and see defeated. On his knees begging for him and his family to live.
After all, the man was everything Leon resented in this world. Bruno was a man of noble heritage, and in public a practicing Christian, he was a hardcore supporter of the German Conservative Party. Which was a party that represented the wealthy landowning nobility in the German Reich. Which was everything Leon hated.
But on top of this rumor had it that Bruno's family also had ties to the Berlin Movement, which was a composition of political parties and political philosophies which represented the interests of the German Christian middle class.
After all, Bruno's family was relatively recently established as a Noble House and in the previous century prior to becoming part of the Junker Coalition were a middle class family of professional soldiers.
Because of this, they often extended helping hands to parties which were somewhat aligned with the German Conservative Party, but still representing their own interests. Such as the Christian Social Party.
Which at one point formed a political coalition, with the German Conservative Party having shared the ideals of anti-liberalism, and pro-monarchism. But also added the priorities of Christian Ethics, National Identity, and Antisemitism on top of them.
All of which were also things that Leon despised. And though Bruno had yet to express any interest in politics thus far, nor had he ever shared his support of the Christian Social Party and its more radical ideas.
At the end of the day, his family had hands in both the German Conservative Party and the Christian Social Party, as well as other far-right political parties. Making him as far as Leon was concerned was guilty by association.
What was Bruno guilty of? Being opposed to Marxism, Liberalism, and what would one day be referred to as Progressivism. Which for a literal communist sympathizer like Leon, and an active member of the French Socialist Revolutionary movement. Was about as grave as a sin as one could be guilty of.
In other words, Bruno was rather normal for the time. But political extremists rarely functioned on logic or reason. And because of this, Leon made it his life's goal to be the end of Bruno and men like him.
Bruno had no idea that he had suddenly found himself having an arch-nemesis who was plotting towards his destruction. And it would be many years before he even became aware of Leon's existence, having forgotten entirely about the snooty French man and their brief encounter in China years ago.