Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 153 Traitor

June 12, 1940, Loire River, southern France, headquarters of Army Group A.

The marker representing Dunkirk on the map had just been changed to their own color, and Manstein stood there alone, seemingly lost in thought.

A knock sounded at the door, and Captain Alexander Stahlberg, the chief adjutant, quietly entered the room. This young man, also of Junker aristocratic lineage, was a distant relative of Manstein, and was usually responsible for delivering important messages.

"Sir, I have some breaking news." Captain Stahlberg reported, standing at attention; his standard military posture gave him a spirited air.

"Read it." The Chief of Staff waved his hand.

"Yes, General Guderian has just returned to the front lines by plane. It is said that his injuries are not serious."

"The British evacuation from Dunkirk has just ended, and we have captured approximately 40,000 French rearguard troops..."

At this point, the captain carefully glanced at the Chief of Staff's expression. Everyone in the know was that when the Führer ordered a temporary halt to the attack, the Chief of Staff had opposed it, saying in private, "Germany has lost its best chance."

Seeing that Manstein did not fly into a rage, the captain continued.

"The entry ceremony in Paris has been confirmed. General Choltitz will lead the 87th Infantry Division into the city first. Marshal Brauchitsch has just conveyed the Führer's greetings. They asked if you would like to take a short rest in Paris and share in this honor..."

Manstein remained silent. He knew that given the Führer's arrogant nature, his words were practically a tacit apology. This was enough to demonstrate his standing in the Führer's eyes.

However, even so, the 30 people who were released could never be brought back.

With a slight sigh, Manstein slowly rose to his feet.

"Send a telegram to the Führer, saying that I thank him for his kindness and that I will be making a short stop in Paris later."

The captain wrote down his superior's orders and turned to leave, while Manstein looked out the window at the Lour River with mixed feelings.

Even if one is dissatisfied, one must still show gratitude to the head of state. This is not only a matter of soldiers obeying orders, but also a political necessity.

He is 53 years old this year.

At 53, he was perhaps at the prime of his life as a commander leading a large army.

However, as a pure warrior, he was getting too old. He had lost the courage to lead a regiment into hand-to-hand combat with the enemy in the rainy night, and he had also lost the courage to question authority.

Subconsciously touching the scar on his forehead, the Chief of the General Staff murmured to himself, "If you were still alive, you wouldn't have this kind of trouble, would you?"

At the same time, Paris.

Qin Hao was troubled about how to make the little girl happy.
"Here, try this on, it fits you perfectly, you're such a good girl." Qin Hao put a small baseball cap on Anna's head, then patted her head.

Anna found her new outfit very amusing, and the little girl sat there giggling.

Wearing linen shorts, wooden-soled leather sandals, and a knitted pullover, Anna's signature long hair was hidden by her iconic baseball cap. If you didn't look closely, she would look just like any other child newspaper vendor you'd see on the streets of Paris.

The little girl thought for a moment, then picked up an old newspaper and handed it to Qin Hao.

Qin Hao thought for a moment, then took out 100 francs from his pocket and handed it to the little girl. The two of them then played a game of newspaper selling in the museum's exhibition hall.

"Sir, where did you get this outfit?" the female manager asked curiously, her eyes wide.

"I exchanged it on the street. I left some money for the kid." The man shrugged and continued with his work.

"It's so chaotic outside, do we really have to leave?" the caretaker asked with some concern.

Compared to her future brilliance, Geneviève de Gaulle at this moment was just an ordinary girl with a bit of hot blood, at most a little more knowledgeable than the average person. Faced with such a momentous event, she was inevitably somewhat flustered. "Be prepared to leave at any time." The man bent down and gently helped Anna straighten her collar, then called Odin over to play with the little girl.

The girl reached out to grab Odin's tail feathers, and the usually majestic raven could only hop away in panic.

Anna giggled and chased after him, while Odin's slightly panicked cry came from inside the house.

Qin Hao glanced at the female administrator in front of him, then pulled out a simple map from behind him and began to draw it.

"We'll get Anna out of Paris first and head to the south."

“That area is still under French government control, so we can get a horse-drawn carriage on the road.”

"During the journey, you can travel to Saint-Malo, Brest, or Saint-Nazaire, where there are still operational ports."

"According to intelligence, although most of the troops have withdrawn from Dunkirk, there are still a certain number of soldiers in the south. As long as we find the local garrison, we can take a boat and the troops to the other side of Britain."

Looking at the plan in front of her, the administrator couldn't help but raise her hand and ask, "But how do we get out of the city? There are Germans everywhere outside."

"Wait! Maybe the opportunity will come soon."

Dangdangdang~~~
No sooner had Qin Hao finished speaking than the museum door was knocked on again.

The two exchanged a glance, and Qin Hao pulled Anna into the attic, while the caretaker slowly walked to the front to open the door.

Two men in black trench coats stood at the door again, both wearing conspicuous white armbands.

"Madam, from the Paris City Hall," the man said with a poker face.

"What's the matter?"

"The army will be entering the city the day after tomorrow. According to the city government's requirements, all major buildings in the city must be covered with this." The man unfolded the item in his hand.

The administrator gasped.

It was a swastika flag with red, black, and white stripes.

Geneviève de Gaulle's eyes showed disbelief. Although the Germans were at the gates and it was clear to everyone that France was doomed, France had not surrendered in a strict sense, as there were still troops resisting in the south.

The Paris city government's actions are tantamount to casting its own ballot before the nation's.

"The flag must be displayed as required the day after tomorrow; violators will be severely punished!"

Then the man in the trench coat looked at the bookish-looking woman in front of him and asked:

"Also, do you speak German? We need a large number of people who speak German to act as translators. The pay will be excellent. We can pay them directly or in exchange for supplies."

"Also, take inventory of the exhibits in the museum; someone might come and move the valuables to another location."

A surge of anger rose within her, and the caretaker could barely contain the urge to slap the two men. She forced herself to watch them leave.

"Don't be angry, this is a good thing." The priest in the black robe patted her shoulder.

"Just like I said, our opportunity has come."

(End of this chapter)