Chapter 244

Chapter 244: Turning Defeat into "Victory"

In the Kingdom of East Africa, King Constantine inquired about the progress of the reorganization of the new army. His officials reported that 80% of the reorganization had been completed, and they had promoted individuals with outstanding combat achievements to serve as generals in the new army. Constantine ordered them to send the reorganization materials to his office.

The conversation then turned to the Portuguese and their activities in the southern shore of Lake Malawi. The officials mentioned that they had not heard of any Portuguese advances in that region. Spies hadn't reported Portuguese troops near South Salzburg Province, which bordered the area in question. However, two months ago, intelligence indicated that the Portuguese had organized a team to venture inland. They speculated that the Mozambique colony might have conquered the Malawi Kingdom.

The officials discussed the possibility of the Portuguese encountering challenges or force majeure factors that prevented them from effectively occupying the territory. Constantine decided not to focus on the Portuguese situation, emphasizing the need to complete troop reorganization by July and expand further inland.

In the southern part of the Kingdom of Malawi, a team of Portuguese soldiers, led by Captain Anthony, was facing difficulties. They had been struggling for three months to advance their front line in the Chipoka area but had almost exhausted their ammunition. Their efforts to engage the indigenous population had been challenging, with the locals employing hit-and-run tactics.

During their latest encounter, a shadowy figure had attacked them with arrows from the forest, causing confusion among the Portuguese soldiers. Although they fired back, they couldn't catch their elusive attackers.

Captain Anthony was frustrated with his inexperienced recruits, who were not adapting well to the unfamiliar terrain and had poor discipline. These sailors, unaccustomed to land warfare, were proving difficult to lead.

In the rear of the Portuguese expeditionary force, Commander-in-Chief Burled expressed his displeasure with their lack of progress and the dwindling ammunition. Captain Chalves explained that the indigenous people in the region were skilled at evading the Portuguese forces, and the climate was taking a toll on their troops' physical condition. He also suggested that the Mozambique colony's long period of peace had left them ill-prepared for inland warfare.

Chalves further proposed using the recent heavy rain to their advantage. He suggested reporting that they were forced to halt their advance due to a mountain torrent and flash floods, claiming that they were on the brink of conquering the southern part of the Malawi Kingdom. By putting the indigenous population together, they could claim that they had all escaped or perished during the floods, presenting a more favorable image to the colonial government.

Commander-in-Chief Burled found Chalves' idea appealing and decided to go along with the plan. They would create a narrative that would make the Portuguese forces appear heroic in the face of adversity, ensuring that their setbacks wouldn't reflect poorly on them in the eyes of the colonial government.