"The British and French Navies have made no moves, but judging by the momentum, they really have taken East Africa's development to heart. They are even willing to join forces to back Portugal."
"There is nothing our navy can do to interfere in this matter. The final outcome will still depend on how the land war in East Africa is fought. But with Britain and France supporting Portugal, can East Africa really handle it?"
Faced with his colleague's question, Archduke Ferdinand merely smiled without answering. He did not answer the question. After all, East Africa's strongest arm was supposed to be its army.
The army Archduke Ferdinand considered the strongest finally met the Mozambique army at Songo. The standoff did not last long, because East Africa's main force arrived ahead of schedule.
Just one day earlier, East Africa's main force had reached Songo Fortress before the bulk of the Mozambique colony's troops. Tens of thousands of soldiers suddenly arriving at the front was no small disturbance.
This gave the Portuguese advance force, which had hoped to stall for time, quite a fright. Keli had thought that, no matter what, his own troops should arrive first. Instead, East Africa completed its assembly first, leaving him deeply puzzled.
Frowning, he said, "East Africa reacted so quickly? Or did they already have a large force nearby that could come to reinforce them in time?"
Portugal had painstakingly planned this war for several months. They had intended to rely on surprise to break open the situation in the central region, but now that East Africa's main force had arrived, that plan was likely going down the drain.
But why East Africa's reinforcements had reached the front so quickly left Keli unable to puzzle it out, for he could not open his heavenly eye