When the Roses Bloom Again by TheBlack'sResurgence

Chapter 73

Role Reversal

As he had been doing for several weeks now, Gellert cursed the name Evans as he pressed the tip of his wand to his map, marking Finland in red, another country lost to him to the ICW forces.

The Netherlands had fallen first, followed by Denmark, then Norway, and now Finland. Four territories snatched from his grasp, and more of his followers killed.

The attacks came swiftly and as deadly as Gellert would have approached them were the roles reversed, and though he respected the ruthlessness and tenacity shown, it irked him so that he and his men were the subject of them.

The only light in what was becoming a darker tunnel was that his own men had swept through Portugal and taken it for him, but losing four countries was quite a blow, and one that no amount of preparation had prevented.

He could of course dedicate more men to defending his lands, but doing so would leave others vulnerable to attack, and that he could not do.

At all costs, he needed to maintain his control over France, Spain, and Germany. If he was to lose any of those, it would be a pivotal and perhaps major setback to his movement.

It was quite the quandary Gellert faced, and yet, he could see no way out of it, not without risking more than he knew he would lose.

"What is it?" he snapped as a knock sounded at the door to his study.

Weber entered, undeterred by Gellert's foul mood as he took a seat and looked at him thoughtfully.

"If you're going to tell me that we have lost another…"

Weber held up a placating hand and shook his head.

"No, Herr Grindelwald, I have come to discuss potential solutions to the problems we are facing."

"Do you have solutions?" Gellert asked somewhat petulantly.

"Perhaps," Weber replied.

Gellert eyed the man, doing his best to keep the irritation he felt at bay.

It had been like this since the night he had last seen Evans in front of Nurmengard when the man had absconded with Gellert's prisoners.

The man had escaped him, had fled like a coward, though given the circumstances he faced, it had been in his best interests.

Still, Evans' actions against him since then had only increased Gellert's ire, and he wanted the man dead, almost as much as he wished for his campaign to be successful.

"What would you suggest, Herr Weber," Gellert sighed as he deflated and took the seat opposite the German.

"If I may be blunt, we need more men," Weber replied as though such a thing was so simple to acquire.

With the success the ICW forces were having, recruitment had slowed to almost a standstill.

"And where do you suggest we find these men?" Gellert huffed.