Dugagu, Republic of Burkina.
The presidential palace.
"So you suspect the French are backing the National Liberation Alliance."
Sankara was very curious why the Ministry of National Defense had only now reached this conclusion, and asked in puzzlement:
"Didn't you know that already? Isn't it obvious?"
"Uh..."
Katelai was at a loss for words. Then he realized Sankara might have misunderstood what he had just said, and immediately explained:
"What our Ministry of National Defense means is that there are large numbers of mercenaries from France among the National Liberation Alliance's armed fighters.
That's also why they were able to steady their ranks so quickly after their morale collapsed, and even hammer our troops in the fighting that followed."
"Large numbers of mercenaries from France? Are you sure there are large numbers?"
Sankara asked in confusion:
"Then how did those police in Nijia hold off the National Liberation Alliance's attack at the very start of the war?"
Sankara had long anticipated that there would be French mercenaries in the National Liberation Alliance, but he had not expected the Ministry of National Defense to judge that there were large numbers of them.
"On that point, our Ministry of National Defense's conjecture is that the National Liberation Alliance and the French behind them might have been planning to send these mercenaries into battle at the most critical moment.
That way, they could catch us off guard, then end the fighting with the force of a thunderbolt and overthrow our rule.
But what they didn't expect was that a group of police lacking heavy weapons would actually hold Nijia for a full twenty-eight hours.
What they expected even less was that we, the central government, would actually be willing to pay such a high price to dispatch the four nearest brigades of local troops as reinforcements.
To keep this war from ending in such a dramatic and humiliating fashion, the National Liberation Alliance and the French had no choice but to send these French mercenaries in ahead of schedule," Katelai answered.
"Understood."
Sankara nodded, then spoke with a grave expression:
"I've just received a piece of intelligence myself. The French, humiliated and furious, are preparing to bring other anti-government armed groups into this war as well, turning this localized war into a full-blown civil war affecting our entire country.
That makes Nijia crucial. As long as we can hold Nijia, when civil war really does break out, we'll only need to send troops to hold Bugani in the south. If Nijia falls, the consequences could be serious!"
Katelai, who had been sitting in his chair, immediately rose to his feet upon hearing Sankara's words, then assured him loudly:
"Rest assured, Mr. President. Our Ministry of National Defense will draw up the most thorough plan possible, weakening the local forces while firmly holding Nijia!"
"Bugani in the south is very important too!" Sankara added.
"Understood!"
Katelai nodded and answered:
"Our Ministry of National Defense will immediately dispatch the nearest local forces to Bugani. We'll also transfer the 4th Light Armored Brigade and the 5th Infantry Brigade from Nijia to join them, ensuring that nothing can go wrong in Bugani."
"Excellent!"
Sankara nodded in satisfaction. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he said with a smile:
"Oh, right. The French won't have the other anti-government armed groups launch their attacks in the immediate future, so there's no need to give the local forces sent to reinforce Bugani a billion outright. Just tell them we'll definitely give it to them once the war is over."
Familiar with Sankara, Katelai immediately realized he was planning to write a rubber check. He smiled as well and replied:
"Hahaha... rest assured, Mr. President. I understand what to do."
After saying this, Katelai gave Sankara a military salute and continued:
"That's everything our Ministry of National Defense has to report to you. If there's nothing else on your end, Mr. President, I'll take my leave."
Sankara shook his head and said, "There's nothing else on my end. If anything comes up, I'll have the President's Office call you. It's getting late. You should get some rest soon too!"
"Yes, Mr. President!"
Katelai gave Sankara another military salute, then turned and left.
At the doorway, Katelai looked back and saw Sankara beneath the light, still bent over a mountain of official business. His eyes held both admiration and heartache.
But all Katelai could do was close the office door as quietly as possible.
"Knock, knock, knock-"
Less than five minutes after Katelai left, someone else knocked on Sankara's office door.
"Come in."
Sankara did not look up, but spoke out of habit.
"Creak-"
Only after hearing Sankara's voice did a middle-aged woman with the weathering of the years written all over her face push the door open and walk in, carrying a huge stack of documents.
"Mr. President, these are the materials you asked for?"
She placed the stack of documents on Sankara's desk and spoke.
"???"
Seeing the almost mountainous pile of documents, Sankara froze and asked in confusion:
"Documents I asked for? What are all these documents? When did I ask for them?"
"Huh?"
The middle-aged woman froze as well. Hearing Sankara's questions, she sounded a little less certain and answered cautiously:
"Didn't you have someone from the President's Office tell me this morning to compile all the materials related to our country's agriculture and bring them to your office tonight?"
"Related to agriculture... oh!"
Sankara muttered to himself, then suddenly understood and said, deeply embarrassed:
"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry! Look, these documents have almost filled my desk. Day in and day out, so many things need my personal attention that I got so busy I forgot all about it."
Then Sankara moved the entire stack of documents the middle-aged woman had brought in front of him. As he opened the top document, he also looked toward her and asked for confirmation:
"Are you sure these are all the materials related to our country's agriculture?"
In Sankara's field of vision.
Name: Ajima Ameli Nationality: Republic of Burkina Age: 48 Position: Minister of Agriculture, Animal and Fishery Resources Rank: Ministerial Loyalty: 76
The previous Minister of Agriculture had been Makru Shengdido.
But Sankara had already scattered even his ashes, while Ameli was the new Minister of Agriculture whom Sankara had appointed after making a round of the Ministry of Agriculture.
From what he had seen so far, Sankara considered her a relatively competent Minister of Agriculture, at least on this magical land of Africa.
"Yes, everything is here!"
Ameli nodded and answered.
"All right, I'll find some time to look through them later, and tomorrow I'll find a time to have a proper talk with you. It's getting late now, so go home and get some rest."
"Yes, Mr. President!"