Extra: Trip to Africa (Free Chapter)

Franz's secretary Mia Artieth put a document on Franz's desk.

"Your Majesty, the church has borrowed a battalion of hunters from Fort Sassandra."

Fort Sassandra, the sub-capital of the Ivory Coast colony in Africa, is an important port city connecting the Sassandra River and the Voda River.

Franz nodded and waited for the next words. After all, the colony is not like the homeland. It is not uncommon for the prodigal sons of the big families of the Austrian Empire to take hundreds of troops to hunt wild beasts in the colony.

Is it possible that a bishop of the church has lost his mind again? Want to engage in armed missionary work?

Franz allowed the church to use missionary means to win over the indigenous high-level officials, but that was just a diplomatic means, and it did not mean that Franz really wanted those black leaders to join the Austrian Empire.

But if that was the case, Mia Artieth would not have to report to Franz in person. The dozens of secretaries under the former were not fools, and would not bother Franz so recklessly.

Moreover, armed missionary work involves the church, so most of the time, the matter will only be left on paper with a red circle drawn for Franz to find out for himself.

"Unfortunately, 250 officers and soldiers of the Fifth Hunting Battalion in Ivory Coast have completely lost contact with us. Also missing is an expedition team organized by the church. They disappeared on the way to the inland Kingdom of Dubaiya."

In fact, the so-called disappearance is just a euphemism for the annihilation of the entire army. At this time, disappearance on the African continent is basically equivalent to death.

"Is it a natural disaster or a man-made disaster?"

Franz finally asked.

"It is speculated that it is a man-made disaster."

Mia answered hesitantly.

"Speculation?"

"The local indigenous tribes are very barbaric, and our people failed to go deep. The church claims that the indigenous kingdom attacked the church's expedition team."

Franz sighed.

"What is the purpose of the church?"

"The church has obtained some intelligence, and they seem to be pursuing eternal life."

Mia also knew that her words were a bit absurd, so she pointed to a separate document.

Although Franz was not interested in perpetual motion machines and immortality, the church never gave up its research.

There are also some families and officials who support them behind the scenes. Franz doesn't care. It's better to do such illusory things than to let them think about making trouble for themselves all day long.

As for the wasted money, it can be regarded as stimulating the economy. However, Franz can't ignore this matter. He picked up the documents on the table and looked through them.

A large-scale expedition team of the church is going deep into the interior and sent a strange request to the headquarters of the Ivory Coast colony.

The expedition team needs a strong army to protect their safety, but the colony has almost eliminated all threatening indigenous tribes within its sphere of influence in the past year.

Of course, the church still has to give face, so the local colonial government sent the Fifth Huntsman Battalion of Ivory Coast.

As for sending a large army, it is impossible. After all, all the transfers of the Austrian Empire above the regiment level (2,000 people) in peacetime need the approval of the emperor and the Ministry of War.

Although this hunting battalion is not fully staffed, it actually has only 250 people, and its equipment is also some antiques. But since the Austrian Empire began to operate in Africa, nothing except malaria has caused such a great loss to the colonial army.

It was normal to have hundreds of casualties compared to the African natives. Usually, the Austrian colonial army lost more than a dozen people in a war, and even a few people could kill hundreds or even thousands of enemies.

Previously, there was a grassland hero Idi Das in the inland area of ​​East Africa. He called himself the "King of the East Bantu" and led his tribe, which was said to have a million people, to invade the Governor's District of Tanzania.

As a result, the three thousand colonial troops and 20,000 Dalit laborers defeated the army. After the whole war, the Austrian colonial army lost 123 people, which was also the most casualties of the Austrian Empire in Africa.

In fact, in all the wars in the colonies, the Austrian Empire won all the battles in which it invested more than three digits of troops, so Franz was a little surprised.

In fact, if the explorers, archaeologists, translators, bodyguards, and priests hired by the church are counted, the number of casualties this time may exceed 500.

The church was obviously unwilling, but it did not dare to continue to mobilize official forces, so it organized another expedition team.

This time, the church's fighting brothers alone organized more than 600 people, plus mercenaries, logistics, and researchers, the total number may exceed 2,000.

Such a big fight, so Mia felt that this matter was extraordinary.

No mistake, one post, one content, one look!

Dubaiya tribe? This name seems familiar, but Franz can't let this tribe exist anyway.

Not only because the honor of the Austrian Empire cannot be tarnished, the loss of more than 500 people must be recovered.

Moreover, the Austrian Empire is now in a rare period of peace, and with quinine and allicin, it can continue to advance inland and occupy more areas.

In public and private, this tribe should be destroyed.

"Miss Mia, let Colonel Ludwig von Lens come."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Franz decided to let Ludwig von Lens and the mercenary group funded by the Austrian royal family go to West Africa to see what the church wants to do.

To ensure the success of the operation, Franz authorized the use of military-level force and approved the establishment of outposts deep inland.

This time, the elite forces of the two mercenary groups, Umbrella and the Hand of Order, are mainly involved in the operation, with about 2,000 people.

Franz will also send a full-strength hunting battalion, an artillery battalion, and an infantry regiment to assist.

Even if the church's troops are not counted, the force of this operation will reach 5,000. Franz has given his opponent enough respect, and he does not want any more mistakes.

Archbishop Rauscher found Franz after learning the news, and the information from the former surprised the latter a little.