Chapter 750: The Walloon Chamber's Warning
Count Radetzky looked up at the sky, frowning slightly, and ordered his aide:
"Increase the marching speed. We must reach Wavre before nightfall."
He had been ordered to seize Namur as quickly as possible, securing control over Wallonia's key transport hub.
With France likely to intervene, the sooner he arrived, the more time he had to prepare.
However, before his orders could be carried out, a short trumpet signal suddenly sounded from the front of the column—
A halt signal.
Something was wrong.
It wasn't long before a cavalry captain rode up from the vanguard, saluted, and reported:
**"General, a group of people is blocking the road.
Among them are officials from the Walloon Chamber of Commerce, as well as several journalists."**
Radetzky raised an eyebrow, then let out a cold laugh.
**"Hah!
Do these fools think they can stop us the way they stopped the Brussels security forces?"**
Just the day before, the Flemish government had sent Brussels security forces to "restore order" in Wallonia.
But the Walloon police had intercepted them, forcing them to retreat in disgrace.
More than a dozen Flemish officers were even arrested.
Radetzky spurred his horse forward, arriving at the front of the column.
There, dozens of Walloon officials stood arm-in-arm, blocking the road, while several journalists observed from the sides, taking notes.
Radetzky glanced at his aide.
The man immediately stepped forward, announcing loudly:
**"General Radetzky is acting under His Majesty's orders to restore order in Wallonia.
You must clear the road immediately, or you will be considered enemies of the Emperor."**
One of the officials stepped forward, handing a document to the aide, and declared firmly:
**"On behalf of the Walloon Chamber of Commerce, we formally protest Austria's violation of the Walloon Demilitarized Zone.
We demand that you leave immediately.
If you do not comply, the Walloon Police are authorized to arrest you."**
Radetzky stared at the official, then exchanged amused glances with his officers—
Before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! Did you hear that?
Arrest us?!"
One officer wiped a tear from his eye, chuckling.
"He actually thinks he can threaten the Imperial Army! Absolutely ridiculous!"
"Poor fool must have lost his mind."
Without a second thought, Radetzky ripped the document into shreds, tossing the pieces onto the ground.
He then waved impatiently at his officers.
"Disperse them."
"Yes, General!"
At once, hundreds of soldiers surrounded the protestors, their muskets angled upward.
Then—
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
A deafening volley of gunfire shattered the silence.
The Walloon officials flinched, instinctively stepping back.
The soldiers then leveled their muskets, aiming directly at the crowd.
"Thieves! You're nothing but thieves!"
"You will pay for this!"
Though furious, the officials and journalists had no choice but to step aside, clearing the road.
The journalists, however, furiously scribbled notes, eager to publish this shocking event.
With the road clear, the Austrian army resumed its advance.
Radetzky, riding beside his officers, casually discussed what would happen after they captured Namur.
Would the Emperor order an invasion of France itself?
However, barely five kilometers ahead, the vanguard came to another sudden stop.
Radetzky's frown deepened.
"What now?"
A moment later, the same cavalry officer galloped over, but this time, his expression was tense.
"General, our Hussars have spotted a large force of Walloon police—about 1,500 meters south of our position."
Radetzky snorted in disdain.
To him, police were nothing more than state-controlled street thugs.
"Police? How many?"
"More than 2,000, General."
Radetzky raised an eyebrow.
"Quite a number."
He turned to his aide.
"Androsh, who is leading the vanguard security?"
The aide thought for a moment.
"Lieutenant Colonel Bussek's Delna Skirmisher Regiment, sir."
Radetzky nodded.
**"Send Bussek to drive them off.
He has two hours to complete the task."**
"Yes, General!"
A skirmisher regiment had over 1,400 soldiers—easily enough to disperse 2,000 police officers.
Besides, skirmishers were fast, meaning the main column wouldn't be delayed.
The Battle Begins
An hour later.
Lieutenant Colonel Bussek peered through his spyglass, scanning the Walloon police line in the forest clearing ahead.
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Why are they standing in a tight infantry line formation?"
Then, he noticed something—
A long, taut rope stretched in front of the police ranks.
He exhaled in relief.
That was a training tool for new recruits, used to keep them from breaking formation.
Clearly, these policemen were amateurs, just pretending to be soldiers.
Lowering his spyglass, he turned to his aide.
"Are the troops ready?"
"Yes, Colonel. We can attack at any time."
Bussek grinned.
**"Then what are we waiting for?
Let's teach these fools a lesson."**
Drummers began their rhythm.
The Delna Skirmishers advanced in a 1.5-kilometer-wide formation, pressing forward.
The Walloon Police Prepare for Battle
North of Wavre
Bourget wiped sweat from his forehead, feeling his nerves tighten as he heard the drums approaching.
He had trained at the Paris Police Academy, where his instructors had drilled into him:
"Always be ready to fight. Always be prepared for danger. Always defeat your enemies."
But the worst thing he had ever faced was a gang of 30 armed criminals.
Now, an entire Austrian regiment was marching straight toward him.
"Hey, Alois… do you think we're going to die here?"
Beside him, his round-faced friend wiped his sweaty palms, then clenched his fists.
**"Did you forget?
These bastards want to steal our entire homeland.
We have to stop them!"**
A wide-foreheaded officer behind them nodded firmly.
**"I refuse to go back to the way things were three years ago.
Damn the Austrians!"**
All around them, their fellow officers nodded grimly in agreement.
They knew what Austrian rule meant.
Before the French arrived, Wallonia was poor, with high taxes and no industry.
The Flemish looked down on them as country bumpkins.
But in the past three years, everything had changed.
French merchants had invested in coal mines and ironworks.
Wallonia was thriving for the first time.
Even Flemish workers came seeking jobs.
Now, Austria wanted to take it all away.
The Walloon Police gripped their weapons, their determination solidified.
They would fight.
They would defend their homeland.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10